Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will attend the fifth Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, from February 19 to 20, at the invitation of Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith.

Deputy PM to attend special ASEAN-China meeting on response to Covid-19

 On the occasion, as the chairman of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC), Deputy PM Minh will chair a special meeting of the ACC and co-chair the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on cooperation in response to the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

Earlier, after discussing with ASEAN member countries, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, as Chairman of ASEAN in 2020, issued a statement on ASEAN’s collective response to the Covid-19 outbreak, in the face of complicated developments of the epidemic.

The statement expressed the concern of ASEAN leaders about the complicated development of the disease, which seriously impacts the people’s life and the development of ASEAN countries as well as in the region and the world as a whole. Stressing the ASEAN’s solidarity and spirit of a “cohesive and responsive” community, ASEAN leaders affirmed their strong commitment to joining hands to control and curb the spread of the epidemic, ensuring a safe life for their people.

The statement welcomed the efforts currently underway in the framework of ASEAN medical cooperation and cooperation with partners (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), underlining that ASEAN will enhance coordination at both national and regional levels, coordinate joint work among relevant sectors for a synchronised and effective approach of the ASEAN Community, and strengthen ASEAN’s cooperation with the World Health Organisation, partners and international organisations in preventing and controlling the epidemic.

The statement also affirmed ASEAN’s solidarity and strong support for the tremendous efforts of the Government and people of China as well as the international community in responding to the epidemic.

As part of the ASEAN’s joint response to Covid-19, Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh, as Chairman of the ACC, has proposed organising an extraordinary meeting of the ACC and coordinating with China to hold a Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to discuss cooperation in fighting Covid-19./.