Mekong - U.S. Partnership
Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI)
Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), launched in 2009, is a multinational partnership among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States to create integrated sub-regional cooperation among the five Lower Mekong countries. LMI serves as a platform to address complex, transnational development and policy challenges in the Lower Mekong sub-region. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjLLkc3o6Uw
Building Community Response for Good
By Kristie A. Kenney, U.S. Ambassador to ThailandOne month ago, we were stunned by the natural catastrophe unleashed by Super Typhoon Haiyan on our friends nearby in the Philippines. Within days of the devastating storm on November 8, Thailand joined the international community in an outpouring of goodwill and humanitarian assistance. Thailand contributed to the…
USAID Helps Public Awareness for Rule of Law in ASEAN
In anticipation of the establishment of an ASEAN community in 2015 and increased awareness on the importance of rule of law for business, the Human Rights Resource Center (HRRC), with the support of USAID, has engaged in a series of activities in Cambodia and Indonesia to highlight the impact any gaps in rule of law…
LMI Monthly News Feed – November 2013
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USAID Helped ASEAN Countries to Liberalize Trade in Services
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) aims to ensure each ASEAN Member State (AMS) removes restrictions affecting trade in services (including related foreign direct investment) and implement related reforms. Efficient services in each ASEAN Member State are essential to promote economic growth. Trade in services liberalization and associated reforms are instrumental for successful formation…
U.S. Ambassador Daniel Clune Hosts Close Out Ceremony for USAID/RDMA’s Laos Program
U.S. Ambassador Daniel A. Clune welcomed Lao and U.S. officials and private sector representatives to his residence for a closing celebration for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Laos-U.S. International and ASEAN Integration Project. Under the project, over 4,000 Lao officials and businesses benefited from training in intellectual property, agricultural and industrial goods standards, and…
Myanmar Commercial Law Ready to be Improved to Support Sustained Economic Growth
The Attorney General, the Union of Myanmar, emphasized the importance of commercial law development for Myanmar’s development plans at the opening of the commercial law development workshop hosted by USAID on commercial law development.Conducted on November 20-21, the workshop demonstrated how commercial law leads to inclusive and sustained economic growth. By the end of the…
Sustainable Mekong Factsheet
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USAID Supports Small and Medium Enterprise Growth in Lower Mekong Countries
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for over 95% of all business in ASEAN and over 50% of employment in the region. Their contribution to GDP is generally significant, about 30-53 percent. Moreover, they are a key entry point into the formal economy for women and youth. ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment Project is…
Self-certification of Origin Workshop in Yangon Myanmar
Today most ASEAN countries require that the origin (place of manufacture or creation) of a good, which is crucial for determining whether lower tariffs in a free trade agreement apply, must be certified by a government body or business association. This can be a cumbersome process. Under self-certification, the exporter itself would certify the origin of…
USAID Continues Helping Laos on Developing Trade Remedy Legislation
On November 12-13, 2013, Lao Officials visited Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce Department of Foreign Trade for a study mission on Trade Remedies Procedures in order to gain perspective on drafting Lao legislation on trade remedies and to learn about the practical experience of how Thailand carries out trade-remedy investigations and applies trade remedies in practice.Laos…
Yangon Welcomes Self-certification of Origin to Support Its Trade Facilitation
ASEAN plans to establish a region-wide system or self-certification by 2015 to facilitate and reduce the cost of doing business in ASEAN. As in any preferential trading area, a product must first receive origin certification before it can claim any trade privileges. Normally such certificate will be issued by a government agency or an authorized…
