Webinar on border management and protection held

The event was chaired by the Defense Ministry of Thailand and attended by representatives from defense agencies of ASEAN member countries. Vietnamese delegation, headed by Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam Border Guard Command Senior Colonel Tran Nam Trung, joined the event.

Senior Colonel Tran Nam Trung, head of Vietnamese delegation

The webinar with three discussion sessions focused on clarifying the role of international organizations in border management, the importance of border management and ASEAN’s related mechanisms, and border defense forces’ role in ensuring security in border areas and preventing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the webinar, Senior Colonel Tran Nam Trung highly appreciated Thailand’s initiative in hosting the event at the time when the pandemic is developing complicatedly. The event created an opportunity for ASEAN countries’ defense agencies to exchange their experience in border management and protection and COVID-19 response in border areas.

The head of the Vietnamese delegation emphasized that since COVID-19 pandemic is developing complicatedly in border areas, Vietnam’s border guard force have closely followed and forecast the development of the pandemic to have timely and effective response to emerging situations. Border guard units have also made recommendations for the Government, the Ministry of National Defense and local authorities to issue effective pandemic prevention measures.

At the webinar

In addition, the border guard units have closely cooperated with neighboring countries’ relevant agencies and authorities to manage activities at border areas while working with local forces to provide medical examination for people entering and exiting the country.

Together with regular missions, the border guard force has accelerated law and information dissemination activities, so as to raise local people’s awareness of and responsibility for observing the Government’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control regulations. Personnel and facilities are always ready to meet the requirements of pandemic prevention and control at different levels.

Senior Colonel Trung emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is having severe impacts on various areas, including border management and defense, requiring ASEAN countries’ militaries to promote their vanguard role in containing SARS-CoV-2. He added that the militaries should foster international cooperation with a focus on information and experience sharing, so as to raise their capabilities to respond to non-conventional security issues.

Translated by Tran Hoai