Europe mulls a pivot to ASEAN

Most of EU businesses are ready to increase trade and investment in the ASEAN space over the next five years, with Malaysia and Indonesia to emerge as the most attractive markets. European manufacturers are also pushing for the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the EU and ASEAN to eliminate structural disadvantages. The EU views ASEAN as a viable alternative to China.

The decline in investments flowing from the European Union (EU) member states to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should not deceive. As witnessed by a recent survey, European companies look in prospect more favorably to the Southeast Asian market than to China’s.

Russia eyes ‘Greater Eurasia’

¹³ The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. ¹⁴ It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. ¹⁶ The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

Revelation 9:13-16

 

President Vladimir Putin’s new vision, which comes ahead of the enlargement plans of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, is expected to unite major Asian states and also mend fences with the European Union

(AT)–The Kremlin outlined an ambitious vision of a new global integration grouping on top of already existing economic and political unions in Eurasia. Yet there is a lack of clarity over how the proposed entity could be reconciled with the existing regional organizations and agreements.

The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) can become part of a larger integration entity, a “Greater Eurasia,” President Vladimir Putin announced. This Greater Eurasian partnership could also include China, India, Pakistan and Iran, former Soviet states and other interested parties, he said.

Asian countries decide to create trade pact for A-Pac

NEW DELHI: Business leaders of Asian nations today decided to promote new free trade agreements and strengthen the existing pacts to use them as building blocks for creating a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).

According to a joint statement issued after the 4th Asian Business Summit, economic partnership agreements and FTAs will bind Asian economies together and promote greater regional cooperation for expanded trade in goods, services and greater cross-border investment flows, besides dismantling of non- tariff barriers.