February 24, 2020
By enhancing communication and collaboration Asean member states and China have vowed to fight the spread of Covid-19.
ASEAN member states and China have vowed to fight the spread of Covid-19 by enhancing communication and collaboration.
The pledge was made by officials attending a special meeting of the
Asean coordinating council, a special meeting on Covid-19, and the Fifth
Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. All the meetings
were held in Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday and Thursday.
A press release issued on Sunday by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation said all the countries were
confident China was capable of overcoming the outbreak.
The countries expressed solidarity towards the Chinese people and
promised to support each other, according to the press release.
“The foreign ministers have agreed to strengthen and broaden
cooperation between Asean and China to fight the spread of Covid-19 by
swiftly sharing information and best practices, including check-ups and
treatment. They also agreed to work together to control and stop the
infectious disease,” the press release said.
Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Prak Sokhonn said the Kingdom has vowed to continue helping China halt
the outbreak.
During the Fifth Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers’
Meeting, the officials expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved
in implementing a five-year action plan for the Mekong-Lancang
mechanism.
“The ministers agreed to urge dialogue among political parties to
strengthen the economy and society. They also agreed to step up efforts
to solve non-traditional security issues like terrorism, cybercrime,
natural disasters, infectious diseases, as well as human, drug and
weapon trafficking,” the press release said.
Kin Phea, the director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s
International Relations Institute, said the meetings were successful and
will help protect the economies and tourism sectors of countries in the
region from Covid-19.
“The countries agreed to implement concrete measures and exchange
information to stop the spread of the disease. Covid-19 is a priority
now because it is a problem that threatens global stability, affecting
the economies of many countries around the world,” he said.
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation also issued a press release on the 27th Asean-New Zealand
Senior Officials’ Meeting.
It said the meeting allowed officials to evaluate past collaborations
and set new goals ahead of a new summit between Asean and New Zealand
on April 9 in Danang, Vietnam.