Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced Wednesday that the UK will provide £50 million for ASEAN to combat the COVID-19 pandemic during his virtual meeting with ASEAN Foreign Ministers on COVID-19. 

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chairs virtual meeting
on COVID-19 between ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the UK Foreign Secretary
on September 30, 2020. Photo: VGP 

The funding includes £7.5 million for ASEAN’s COVID-19 Response Fund – the bloc’s collective effort to address the pandemic.

Raab reassured the UK’s support for ASEAN centrality and highly valued ASEAN’s achievements in community building process.

He suggested ASEAN and the UK to step up cooperation in maritime security, law enforcement and climate change.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh hailed the UK’s proactive role in accelerating dialogue and cooperation in the region.

He asked ASEAN and the UK to collaborate in researching and manufacturing vaccines against COVID-19.

Viet Nam, in its capacity as the ASEAN 2020 Chair, will issue a press release of the meeting, according to the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry./.