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Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung hailed the progress of implementing ASEAN initiatives on coping with COVID-19. He suggested the bloc step up vaccine purchase for its member states and encourage the sharing of vaccines on a voluntary basis to help countries in demand.

He also proposed regional states make further contribution to the ASEAN COVID-19 response fund and ASEAN reserve of medical supplies.

Vietnam is completing internal procedures to announce a list of contributions to the regional reserve of medical supplies and working actively with member states to soon put the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) into effective operation, Dung said.

Speaking highly of achievements in the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, he suggested the grouping continue focusing on promoting economic recovery and mitigating the negative impacts of the pandemic on residents in the region.

Participants agreed that ASEAN will evenly distribute about 100,000 – 250,000 doses of vaccine to each nation depending on types of vaccine, striving to deliver the first batch of vaccine in the fourth quarter this year and continue with it in the first quarter of 2022.

They also recommended ASEAN leaders adopt the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework (ATCAF) and continue discussing the possibility of adopting “vaccine passport.”

Source: PANO/VNA

Translated by Song Anh