Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 19 sent a letter to leaders of ASEAN member states and New Zealand regarding the postponement of the 36th ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN-New Zealand Summit and related meetings, originally set for April 8-9 in the central city of Da Nang city, until the end of June.

Leaders of ASEAN countries show their solidarity at the opening ceremony
of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand

In his letter, the Government chief affirmed that Vietnam has basically finalized organizational work for the events, and underlined the necessity of the postponement in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic spreading far and wide in the region and the world, and being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

He expressed thanks to the countries for providing support and joining hands with Vietnam to promote the building of a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community, while affirming that with determination and joint efforts, solidarity and mutual compassion, the ASEAN Community will stand firm in the face of challenges, and ensure a peaceful life for its people and prosperous development of its member nations.

The same day, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung presented the PM’s letter to the Ambassadors of ASEAN countries and New Zealand during a meeting in Hanoi.

The Deputy FM called on ASEAN member states to make all-out efforts to maintain cooperation and connection, and promote the spirit of a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community in the current difficult period caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic.

ASEAN member states need to boost their closer coordination to mitigate the epidemic’s negative effects on the process of building the ASEAN Community as well as on socio-economic situations in member nations, he stressed.

Dung touched upon measures that Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair, will actively promote in the time ahead in order to ensure the regional bloc’s working plans and augment cooperation in containing the epidemic.

On the occasion, representatives from the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department informed the ASEAN Embassies about Vietnam’s measures to cope with the epidemic.

Ambassadors of ASEAN countries lauded Vietnam’s preparations for ASEAN events and its effective response to the epidemic. They voiced support for the decision of the ASEAN host country and pledged to continue working hand in hand with Vietnam in the time to come so as to prepare for the 36th ASEAN Summit.