The flags of ASEAN and the member states (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – All member countries of
the (ASEAN) have recorded
infections. In the face of the pandemic’s complex developments, Vietnam, in its
capacity as ASEAN Chair in 2020, has been actively promoting the bloc’s common
efforts and cooperating with partners in the fight against the disease.
Promoting
ASEAN’s cohesion and responsiveness
As this year, Vietnam has been
working closely with other members to promote the group’s readiness to respond
and mitigate the outbreak’s impacts, reflecting a truly “cohesive and
responsive” ASEAN.
On February 14, after consulting with other
ASEAN leaders, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued the ASEAN
Chairman’s Statement on ASEAN Collective Response to the Outbreak of COVID-19,
in which regional leaders highlighted the association’s priority to deal with
the disease and urge the international community to support ASEAN in this
effort.
Aside from this statement, the countries’
defence, economic and tourism ministers also issued statements that specify
measures to coordinate their actions and effectively respond to the pandemic.
They affirmed that ASEAN will continue stepping up concrete and practical
actions while enhancing information exchange and coordination at all levels
within the bloc and with partners.
In her letter sent to heads of the member
parliaments of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on March 30,
Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who also
chairs the 41st AIPA General Assembly, called on each AIPA member parliament to
stand side by side and join hands with the governments of the ASEAN member
countries in response to the pandemic by strongly promoting their roles,
adopting measures and policies proposed by their governments to curb the
disease, facilitating resources allocation and enhancing connections with the public.
She said as parliamentarians, they need to
continue to spread messages of love, solidarity and encouragement to all
people, particularly those on the front line of the fight against the COVID-19
pandemic.
In reply, President of the National Assembly and
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand Chuan Leekpai affirmed his
support for the appeal and said that regional cooperation is essential at this
time to jointly protect ASEAN against the COVID-19 pandemic.
To discuss ways to implement the ASEAN
Chairman’s Statement on ASEAN Collective Response to the Outbreak of COVID-19,
at the request of Vietnam as ASEAN Chair, the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)
held a special meeting with the participation of all foreign ministers of the
member nations in Vientiane, Laos, on February 20.
At the event, Vietnam proposed the next steps
for the bloc to bolster common efforts and actions, including sharing
information in a transparent manner, boosting effective coordination among
relevant agencies at national and regional levels, strengthening international
cooperation to effectively respond and control the pandemic, increasing support
for citizens of the member countries when necessary, and trusting and
supporting one another in their response efforts.
Following a proposal by Vietnam, the ACC Working
Group on Public Health Emergencies was set up to promote concerted and
inter-sectoral coordination of the whole ASEAN Community in response to the
complex developments of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This working group’s first teleconference,
chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung – head of the
ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Vietnam, took place on March 31. It
discussed recommendations on cooperation orientations in the COVID-19 fight
which will be submitted to the ACC and regional ministers for feedback before
they are reported to ASEAN leaders.
Enhancing
ties with partners to cope with pandemic-caused challenges
Strengthening cooperation within ASEAN as well
as between the bloc and its partners to effectively deal with challenges caused
by the COVID-19 outbreak is of critical importance.
As leading organisations in their respective
regions, the European Union (EU) and ASEAN have been working together to
overcome such challenges.
Speaking at the ASEAN-EU ministerial teleconference
on COVID-19 held on March 20, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Pham Binh Minh noted that as ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam has been
coordinating closely with other member countries to promote a synchronous and
overall approach for the whole ASEAN Community to improve readiness, gear up
active response measures and mitigate the pandemic’s impacts.
He asked the EU for technical assistance and
cooperation in scientific research to control and treat infection cases, while ensuring
the interests and equal treatment of ASEAN citizens in the EU, and for
coordination to minimise the outbreak’s socio-economic impacts.
Highly valuing ASEAN’s efforts and achievements
in the COVID-19 battle, Vice President of the European Commission and High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Josep Borrell Fontelles also asked ASEAN countries to create conditions
for the repatriation of EU citizens from the Southeast Asian region.
Meanwhile, a teleconference between ASEAN and US
senior officials was also organised with a view to fostering bilateral
cooperation in response to COVID-19 and public health challenges.
At this session, the Vietnamese representative
proposed orientations for cooperation between the US and ASEAN to contain the
disease, deal with negative socio-economic impacts, and ensure a stable life
for people. The official also affirmed that Vietnam will actively coordinate
ASEAN’s efforts to that end.
US Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell
spoke highly of the group’s efforts and achievements and thanked the countries
for helping US citizens to return home from coronavirus-hit areas. He also
pledged assistance for ASEAN citizens in the US.
Additionally, acting Australian Deputy Foreign
Minister and head of the SOM Australia on ASEAN and East Asia Summit Justin
Hayhurst applauded Vietnam’s role and efforts as ASEAN Chair. He said his
country will continue supporting and working closely with Vietnam to promote
disease prevention and control via regional cooperation mechanisms, including
the ASEAN-Australia Cooperation and the East Asia Summit./.
Source: VietnamPlus
