The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the ASEAN, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea held the Special ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit on COVID-19 on April 14. The summit was chaired by Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his capacity as the Chair of the ASEAN.

The leaders expressed their deep concern about the unprecedented and severe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the well-being, livelihood, and safety of their peoples and its adverse impact on the socio-economic development of their respective countries and the world at large. At the same time, they also expressed their deepest condolences and sympathies for the loss of life and suffering caused by the pandemic.

Emphasising the significance of health co-operation and its existing mechanisms in addressing the public health challenges, including the successful partnership of the APT in fighting the SARS pandemic in 2003, the leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthen solidarity, enhance co-operation and mutual support among the APT countries to control and contain the spread of the pandemic, addressing the adverse impact of the pandemic on societies and economies.

At the conference, the leaders agreed on the joint statement on COVID-19 disease. Accordingly, the APT will strengthen the early warning system in the region for pandemics and other epidemic diseases as well as pledged to ensure the regular, timely, and transparent exchange of real-time information on the situation on the ground and measures taken by each country in combating COVID-19; sharing of experience and best practices; and extending mutual technical support in the prevention, containment, and control of transmission as well as clinical treatment of infected cases.

The APT countries will also strengthen scientific co-operation in epidemiological research, including through the APT Field Epidemiology Training Network  (FETN) co-ordination. Along with measures to support citizens and businesses, the leaders reaffirmed commitments to keep markets open for trade and investment and enhance co-operation among APT countries with a view to ensuring food security.

Besides, the member states will also implement appropriate and necessary measures to boost market confidence to improve stability and resilience of the regional economy in a preemptive and concerted manner, including through economic stimulus, and to assist people and businesses suffering from the impact of COVID-19, especially micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and vulnerable groups. They also pledged to leverage technologies and digital trade to allow businesses, especially MSMEs, to maintain operations.

Source: Viet Nam Investment Review