10 April
Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin participated in the video conference of the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council yesterday at 8:30 am from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
At the Meeting, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers briefed their national efforts in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 and exchanged views on sharing information, best practices and policy adjustments, strengthening cooperation to contain the spread of the global pandemic, establishing the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, providing appropriate assistance to ASEAN citizens affected by COVID-19 in each other’s countries or in a third country and enhancing coordinated and collective actions to address the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. The Ministers also discussed preparations for the Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 through video conferencing and endorsed the Recommendations from the first Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE).
Union Minister U Kyaw Tin updated the Meeting on national measures taken by Myanmar Government in the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19, and Myanmar Government’s whole-of-Government approach in addressing health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 as well as Government’s rigorous efforts in mobilizing peoples’ participation and promoting public awareness under the guidance of a National Committee headed by the State Counsellor. He emphasized that no one is left behind in such responsive measures covering different strata of societies including Internally Displaced Persons and returnees from abroad. He also stressed the need to strengthen collaboration and collective actions among ASEAN Member States in enhancing surveillance and control of the borders including the well-being and safe return of the migrant workers in the region, transferring workers across the borders systematically and safely in close cooperation between the countries concerned, fostering closer coordination to counter misinformation and fake news pertaining to COVID-19, promoting public awareness and sharing correct information to the peoples, facilitating smooth flow of the essential commodities and goods particularly urgent medical equipment in time of difficulty and maintaining the momentum of the ASEAN Community building efforts despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic.
Present at the video conference were senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture and Ministry of Health and Sports. —MNA
