Addressing the launching ceremony, RoK Ambassador to ASEAN Lim Sung-nam asserted that the program aims to realize RoK President Moon Jae-in's pledge to support ASEAN's response to COVID-19 as announced at the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 on April 14.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi spoke highly of the ROK's support to enhance ASEAN's capacity to respond to the COVID-19, adding that the program will set an example to further cooperation between ASEAN and the RoK in response to the infectious diseases which will bring health ministries and diseases control centers of ASEAN and the RoK together for further cooperation.

Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to ASEAN, said that the RoK's contribution of test kits and protection equipment to ASEAN member states would surely cope with the spread of the virus in the region. 

As chair of ASEAN in 2020, Viet Nam will make efforts to implement the ASEAN Plus Three leaders' agreements as stated in the Joint Statement, he affirmed. 

With the expenditure worth US$5 million, the ASEAN's capacity building program for early detection of the COVID-19 is expected to promote ASEAN-RoK cooperation on health and explore new areas of cooperation in the time of global crisis. PCR equipment, test kits and personal protective equipment will be provided to each ASEAN member state in late June or early July.