Vientiane (VNA) – A special meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)and a special conference of ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers on cooperation inresponding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) took place in Vientiane, Laos,on February 20.

TheACC’s special meeting, initiated by Vietnam as Chair of ASEAN, was attended by theForeign Ministers of ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretary-General.

Chairingthe meeting, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham BinhMinh said the event was a step to timely implement the ASEAN Chair’s Statement releasedon February 14 on the bloc’s collective response to COVID-19.

Minhstressed that in the face of the epidemic, ASEAN needs to promote its cohesiveand responsive spirit, and intensify cooperation within the bloc as well asbetween the bloc and its partners for the effective response to challengesposed by COVID-19, thus preventing negative impacts on people’s life and membercountries’ development as well as the process of community building and ASEAN’sjoint activities.

Listeningto the ASEAN Secretary General’s update on the COVID-19 epidemic situation andASEAN’s response so far, the ACC welcomed the timely and effective measures ofmember countries, the health care cooperation channel and ASEAN specialized agenciesin sharing information and experience in preventing, diagnosing, treating andcontrolling the disease.  

DeputyPM Minh proposed the next steps for ASEAN based on the ASEAN Chair’s statement,including promoting joint efforts and actions of the ASEAN Community throughthe transparent sharing of information; smooth and effective coordination amongrelevant agencies in the ASEAN system and at both national and regional levelsas well as international cooperation for the effectively response to andcontrol of the disease.

Healso urged more support for nationals of ASEAN member countries in needysituations, and mutual trust and help among member countries.

At the same time, Minh suggested pursuing abalanced approach to combating the epidemic and maintaining open economicconnectivity policies while upholding responsibilities of the Governments in disseminating precise and timely information related tothe epidemic situation and prevention measures to their citizens and membercountries.

The ACC will compile a report on the COVID-19 situation to be submittedto ASEAN leaders at the 36th ASEAN Summit, slated to take place inVietnam in April.

On the occasion, Deputy PM Minh affirmed that ASEAN activities inVietnam in 2020 will go ahead as schedule, and Vietnam will take measures toensure safety for participants.

After the ACC special meeting, the ForeignMinisters of 10 ASEAN member states and Chinese State Councilor and ForeignMinister Wang Yi attended another special meeting to discuss ways to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.

FM WangYi informed the meeting on the situation of COVID-19 in Wuhan and other localitiesof China. He thanked the regional countries and the international community fortheir material and spiritual support for China, and pledged to work to ensurethe safety and the best support for ASEAN citizens living, working and studyingin China.

ASEAN ForeignMinisters affirmed their solidarity and support for China’s efforts incombating the epidemic. They offered sympathy to China for the great losses causedby COVID-19 while expressed the belief that with the Chinese Government’sresolve, capacity and strong measures, the country will overcome difficultiesand put the epidemic under control

TheForeign Ministers of ASEAN and China agreed to push ahead with the sharing ofinformation and best practice, and help enhance capacity in diagnosis andresearch on vaccine and medicine for COVID-19 through available cooperativechannels between the two sides. ASEAN and China also affirmed that they willtry to minimise the epidemic’s impacts on their respective countries’socio-economic development while maintaining economic, trade, investment andtourism exchange between the two sides.

DeputyPM and FM Minh shared Vietnam’s disease control work and cooperation with Chinaover the recent time in the field, and pledged that Vietnam will continue topromote effective cooperation within ASEAN and between ASEAN and partners,especially China, in fighting COVID-19.

At theend of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China passed a statementof the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the CoronavirusDisease 2019 (COVID-19)./.