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RCI Chat

The bimonthly newsletter of the Asia Regional Integration Center

Issue No. 15 • March–April 2016 • aric.adb.org


In the News
 • Initiatives toward global financial inclusion begin.
 • ASEAN Economic Ministers and EU Trade Commissioner conclude 14th Consultations.
 • APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules system strengthens data security.
 • Finance officials meet to improve disaster risk assessment and insurance coverage.


Cross-border Infrastructure
 • SAARC Energy Regulators establish Regional Regulatory Body.
 • SAARC-ADB training on SAARCSTAT Web Portal begins.
 • India, Nepal sign transit agreements.
 • Road construction to enhance India's East West Corridor kick starts.
 • Upgraded highway links GMS East-West/North-South economic corridors.
 • SPC National Minimum Development Indicators regional database expands scope.


Trade and Investment
 • Malaysia forms national and consultative committees to implement TPP.
 • The Philippines, EFTA conclude 5th round of negotiations.
 • Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) concludes 15th round of negotiations.
 • PRC-GCC holds 6th round of FTA negotiations.
 • PRC, Georgia hold first round of FTA negotiations.


Money and Finance
 • 14th ACD Ministerial Meeting welcomes Nepal.
 • RBI strengthens financial cooperation with key partners.
 • AMRO becomes an international organization.
 • ADB partners with FINCA Bank Georgia.
 • G20 meetings talk of financial reform and inclusion.


Regional Public Goods
 • Women entrepreneurs in ASEAN meet.
 • ASEAN Defense Ministers and Dialogue Partners hold joint field training exercise.
 • Seedlings distributed in Fiji after cyclone Winston.
 • APEC economies join to combat corruption.
Feature

Trade blog: ADB Principal Economist and ARIC Team Leader Jong Woo Kang explains how cyclical and structural factors have slowed down global trade in the past half-decade and what should be done to shore it up amid sluggish global demand. Read the blog here.


Structure of Value-Added Exports in ASEAN+3
The feature article breaks down ASEAN+3’s value-added exportsusing the 2011 World Input-Output Database and ADB Multiregional Input-Output Tables. (see page 6)

February 2016–March 2016 RCI EVENTS CALENDAR
April 2016
1–4 20th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ Meeting (Vientiane, Lao PDR)
2–3 ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Banks Deputies’ Meetings (AFCDM+3) (Vientiane, Lao PDR)
3–5 Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2016 (Bangkok, Thailand)
4–5 ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting, (Moscow, Russian Federation)
4–8 21stMeeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (Jakarta, Indonesia)
7–8 Workshop on Electronic Exchange of Data among SASEC Customs Administrations (New Delhi, India)
13–14 47thMeeting of the APEC Expert Group on Energy Efficiency and Conservation (Taichung, Taipei,China)
13–14 46thAPEC Expert Group New and Renewable Energy Technologies Meeting (Taichung, Taipei,China)
18–19 Road Safety Workshop (CAREC) (Bangkok, Thailand)
18–19 Second Meeting of the CAREC Railway Working Group (Bangkok, Thailand)
20–22 15th Transport Sector Coordinating Committee Meeting (Bangkok, Thailand)
22–29 12thRCEP TNC and related meetings (Perth, Australia)
23–25 41stASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (Philippines)
25–28 APEC Business Advisory Council 2 (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea)
May 2016
2–3 Formal AFCDM+3; 18th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (Frankfurt, Germany)
3–4 18thMeeting of the Technical Working Group and Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (Singapore)
5–6 6thAPEC Meeting of the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group (Arequipa, Peru)
10–12 17thMeeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (Malaysia)
12–13 ASEAN Culture and Arts Cooperation Dialogue (Jakarta, Indonesia)
22 Festival of Pacific Arts 2016 (Guam)
24 APEC Workshop on Financial Inclusion Policies (Trujillo, Peru)
27–28 Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (Trujillo, Peru)
24–27 10thASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (Vientiane, Lao PDR)


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