President's Newsletter - May 2019
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
Since my last newsletter, the international community has felt two great losses. On April 19, we lost H.E. Rodolfo C. Severino Jr., who was the 10th Secretary General of ASEAN and the second Filipino to hold the position. Ambassador Severino saw ASEAN through the new millennium and the peak of the Asian financial crisis (see our press release). On April 28, former U.S. senior Senator Richard Lugar passed. Senator Lugar’s work in nonproliferation leaves a legacy of a safer world, and in ASEAN, his diplomacy has been credited for saving the U.S.-Philippine relationship (see our press release). I extend my deepest condolences on the loss of these accomplished leaders.
President's Newsletter - April 2019
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
For all our friends in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, I hope you had a very happy Khmer New Year, Pi Mai, Thingyan and Songkran!
Since my last newsletter, we have seen two milestone elections in ASEAN. On March 24, Thailand held its first elections in eight years. Just over three weeks later, Indonesia held the world’s largest presidential election in a single day on April 17, with over 81 percent of the electorate voting.
President's Newsletter - March 2019
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
President's Newsletter - February 2019
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
January 2019
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
I hope you enjoyed your holidays with family and friends and that your 2019 is off to a strong start. As many of you may know, 2019 is a special year for the Council as we celebrate our 35th anniversary.
December 2018
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
I hope you are enjoying the holidays and getting some down time with family and friends. I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Council and our staff to wish each and everyone a very Happy New Year. May 2019 be a year full of good health, happiness and prosperity for you, your family and your organization.
November 2018
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
Dear Members,
It’s hard to believe that we are already near the end of the year. The last 30 days have not seen any slowdown in Southeast Asia and the Council continues to keep pace.
Cyber Security and privacy legislation continues to evolve in ASEAN (please see ICT section for more information). Earlier this month at the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in Singapore, the 10 nations of ASEAN agreed to their first digital economy agreement when they signed the ASEAN eCommerce Agreement. Ambassador Michael Michalak and I attended the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summits, and I was honored to speak on a panel regarding the role that the Council plays in helping ASEAN achieve its goals. I was joined on the panel by the Ministers of Trade from New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
October 2018
Alexander C. Feldman
President & CEO
US-ASEAN Business Council
President’s Newsletter – October 2018
Dear Members,
Greetings from Washington. Fall has arrived in the nation’s capital and with it the cool weather.
The change in seasons, however, has not deterred Washington from keeping its focus on ASEAN. Both Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin and Secretary of Defense Mattis have traveled to the region in the last two weeks. Secretary Mnuchin attended the World Bank-IMF Fall Meetings in Bali, Indonesia while Secretary Mattis visited Vietnam on his way to the ASEAN Ministers of Defense Meeting Plus in Singapore. This continued engagement is a clear indication of the Trump Administration’s commitment to ASEAN Centrality and the IndoPacific Policy.