The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of Vietnam's ASEAN SOM Nguyen Quoc Dung.
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Scene of the video conference. (Screen captured) |
At the event, delegates agreed to step up the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines via UNICEF and the COVAX Facility to supply member countries, asking ASEAN to promptly use 10.5 million USD from its COVID-19 response fund to purchase the vaccines.
Stressing the importance of sustainable recovery, the participating countries highlighted the need for the entire bloc’s engagement in implementing the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, and for supporting enterprises, vulnerable groups, and remote areas in the region.
Delegates welcomed and approved Vietnam’s initiative to organize an ASEAN forum on sub-regional cooperation in the third quarter of this year that will focus on narrowing the development gap among sub-regions for comprehensive recovery and sustainable development.
They also spoke highly of the outcomes of the regional conference on the implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) for 2021 – 2025, held on May 19 under the chair of Vietnam.
In his remarks, Deputy Minister Dung held that in the current context, ASEAN should prioritize recovering and promoting connectivity, by effectively implementing the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and soon finalizing an ASEAN travel corridor arrangement framework to facilitate travel within the bloc.
He also pointed out the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on the region, including the widened development gap among sub-regions in ASEAN.
The official called on member countries to assist remote areas, including the Mekong sub-region, in recovering from the pandemic and keeping up with the common development pace in the grouping.
Translated by Chung Anh