On September 9, in the framework of the AIPA 41 General Assembly, the Economic Committee Meeting with the theme "The role of the Parliament in promoting ASEAN economic cohesion and recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic" was conducted. 

The Conference of the Economic Committee was conducted online under the direction of the Party Central Committee members: Phung Quoc Hien, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (QH); Vu Hong Thanh, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly. Participants of the meeting were representatives of the AIPA Member Parliament, AIPA Secretariat 41

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Phung Quoc Hien emphasized that economic cooperation within the framework of AIPA is one of the key point that deeply affects all cooperation aspects in the region in general and ASEAN Community in particular; At the same time, he affirmed that AIPA's Economic Committee Meeting aims to make practical and urgent recommendations and resolutions with the desire to support AIPA member countries to overcome difficulties early, economic recovery and social life stabilization associated with the motto "No one will be left behind".

Discussing at the Conference, delegates of AIPA member countries highly appreciated the extraordinary efforts of the Vietnamese host in organizing the 41st AIPA General Assembly in general and the Economic Commission Conference in particular with many forms. A new and modern initiative helps to prevent the negative effects of the Covid-19 epidemic on the ASEAN economy.

Delegates agreed with the statement "No country can go through the Covid-19 epidemic alone". Therefore, more than ever, ASEAN needs to continue to be a cohesive community to co-operate to find out measures for the post-Covid-19 pandemic future; AIPA should clearly demonstrate its responsibility as the parliamentary community together with the Governments of other countries to step up the prevention to be face with and repel the Covid-19 epidemic to satisfy the common concerns of the people of ASEAN and promptly support the the country most affected by the pandemic.

AIPA member parliaments may find out further policy measures to promote regional integration, intra-ASEAN trade and investment.

In addition, the ASEAN Community needs to strengthen sharing and coordinating information in the region as well as information for mutual benefit cooperation so that enterprises in general including micro, small and medium enterprises should promptly respond before penetration of the digital business market.

Along with that, the parliament of each member country should be cautious to issue financial policies to prevent unemployment, enhance transparency and promote multidimensional approaches to avoid the economy "free fall" and to give more specific rights to the health sector to effectively repel the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the conference, the representative of the Vietnamese delegation expected the ASEAN Community to unify to implement a series of breakthrough and feasible solutions such as accelerating the exchange of tourism information, health and necessary measures to control the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic. At the same time propose to review and complete the legal framework to promote trade facilitation, ensure the circulation of goods and supply chains in the region are not interrupted; Issue the open, sustainable and responsible investment policies in the region; ensure food security and agricultural value chains; increased use of renewable energy; proceed to set up a circular economy.

At the same time, the representative of the Vietnamese delegation also proposed to accelerate the ratification of regional trade agreements and agreements to prioritize efforts to finalize negotiations and sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) by 2020; strengthen the development of digital infrastructure, digital connection, digital data security ...; take advantage of the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; strengthen cooperation in the Mekong sub-region and other ASEAN sub-regions.

At the meeting, the AIPA parliaments members also voted to approve the Draft Resolution on “The role of the Parliament in promoting ASEAN economic cohesion and recovery after Covid-19”.

Source: Nhandan