DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia to enhance laws on intellectual property” plus 3 more

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO), on Monday pledged to continue helping Cambodia in formalizing and strengthening laws on intellectual property.

Speaking in a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, he also hailed Cambodia for its efforts and commitment to comply with international treaties and conventions on intellectual property. Francis Gurry also congratulated Cambodia on its rapidly economic development in the last decade.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen highly appreciated the WIPO for its assisting Cambodia in the sector, saying that since Cambodia became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2004, the country has been actively making laws and regulations to adapt to international treaties and conventions on intellectual property.

Francis Gurry is in Cambodia to participate in the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings, which kicked off on Monday and will last until Friday.

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the chair of ASEAN in 2012, on Monday urged ASEAN Economic Ministers to take necessary measures to attract more financial support from dialogue partners for the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund.

With the Asian Development Bank support, the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund of about 500 million U.S. dollars was launched in May this year.

"The fund is still very small. It cannot sufficiently respond to the great need of the ASEAN connectivity," he spoke in his opening address of the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings.

"Therefore, ASEAN Economic Ministers and ASEAN Finance Ministers need to take necessary measures to attract more financing partners to increase the fund size, especially the ASEAN plus three partners, East Asia Summit, and multilateral institutions," he said.

The premier added that strengthening the connectivity of ASEAN in physical and institutional infrastructure, and people to people connectivity is the key for narrowing development gap and ensuring successful integration of ASEAN.

The ASEAN Infrastructure Fund finances about six projects a year with a 75 million U.S. dollar lending cap per project.

Criteria for investments include their potential to cut poverty, increase trade and bolster investment.

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the chair of ASEAN in 2012, on Monday advised the ASEAN economic ministers to submit the studies on the impacts of Hong Kong's accession to the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement ( ACFTA) to ASEAN leaders in November for their decision.

"For the benefits of increasing market access to Hong Kong which is one of the 10 largest trading partners of ASEAN, and based on positive studies made on the impacts of Hong Kong's accession to the ACFTA, I'd like to request the ASEAN economic ministers to make recommendations on legal implication, impacts, and challenges pertaining to the Hong Kong's accession to ASEAN leaders at the 21st ASEAN Summit to be held in November for decision making," he said in his opening address at the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings.

Hong Kong expressed its interest to join the ACFTA to the Secretary-General of ASEAN in October 2011.

Hong Kong's accession to the ACFTA could result in a number of benefits for both Hong Kong and ASEAN member states. Given its strategic position as a business and financial center in the region, Hong Kong could enhance its role as trade facilitator between Chinese mainland and ASEAN countries by joining the ACFTA. In particular, Hong Kong's accession would allow for the further development of the trade between Hong Kong and ASEAN.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings kicked off here Monday, focusing talks on the bloc's economic growth development and tracking progress on tasks towards building an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that Cambodia was pleased to see ASEAN economies grew by 4.7 percent last year despite the tightening economic conditions, higher oil prices, and volatile global capital flows.

The bloc continued to post a trade surplus of 98.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 despite a slowdown in export growth, he said. Export value amounted to 1.24 trillion U.S. dollars while import reached 1.15 trillion U.S. dollars.

"Nevertheless, ASEAN still continues to face challenges, both globally and regionally, such as the fragility of the economic recovery of developed countries, coupled with prolonged severe debt crisis in Europe and ongoing social and political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa," he said. "The bloc is also facing with high oil price, food and energy security, climate change, natural disasters, terrorism and transnational crime."

The premier noted that the development gap among ASEAN members is still huge.

Meanwhile, he urged all ASEAN Economic Ministers to further strengthen its unity to jointly address these issues in order to fulfill a 2015 ASEAN Community: "One Community, One Destiny."

Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said at the opening address that through the week-long meetings, the ASEAN Economic Ministers would discuss the ASEAN Economic Integration, especially the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint towards establishing the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

They will also talk with ASEAN dialogue partners from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United States, Canada and Russia.

Prasidh said furthermore, the ASEAN Economic Ministers and Economic Ministers from dialogue partners will be also interacting with a number of influential business representatives from the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the East Asia Business Council, and the Federation of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.