Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign ministers ofASEAN member countries and Australia agreed to enhance cooperation in COVID-19control and vaccine development at a teleconferenced special meeting on June30.

Authorised by Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of theASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam – the countryholding the bloc’s chairmanship this year, attended the event.

ASEAN and Australian officials pointed out thatthe ongoing complex developments of the pandemic pose latent risks of a secondwave of infections, which requires countries to stay vigilant.

The two sides agreed to step up sharinginformation and experience, improving response capacity, and work together to effectivelycontain the outbreak. They also agreed to coordinate closely to develop andproduce COVID-19 vaccines and medicine, to ensure broad access for the public.

The officials re-affirmed their countries’commitments to supporting one another’s citizens affected by the pandemic andcreating conditions for repatriation if there are demand and situation permits.

At the meeting, ASEAN and Australia also said theywill work closely to minimise the pandemic’s socio-economic impacts, supportthe recovery and maintenance of regional and global supply chains, and discussmeasures for gradually easing and lifting travel restrictions among them,including the possibility of setting up travel corridors among the countries,under suitable medical conditions.

They will increase capitalising on existingmechanisms like the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and theeconomic assistance and development cooperation programmes of Australia, whileactively helping to promote multilateral trade and the signing of the RegionalComprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Besides, the countries said they will coordinateto ensure peace, security, stability and respect for law, thus creatingfavourable conditions for efforts to concentrate on the COVID-19 combat in theregion.

ASEAN countries also appreciated Australia’sassistance for the bloc in the pandemic prevention and control, both at theregional level and via bilateral cooperation programmes.

Officials of the Southeast Asian nationsproposed Australia actively support ASEAN’s initiatives like the COVID-19 ASEANResponse Fund and the region’s stockpile of medical supplies, and help the blocbuild a master plan for recovering from and mitigating impacts of the pandemic.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Paynereiterated that her country attaches importance to ASEAN and puts the groupingat the centre of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

Australia highly values ASEAN’s efforts inCOVID-19 response and pledges to continue financial aid for the bloc and itsmembers to improve the capacity of their healthcare systems, she noted.

On this occasion, Payne also presented severalproposals, including the ASEAN-Australia initiative on health security,political-security cooperation between the two sides, more medical scholarshipsfor ASEAN countries, and an aid package of 280 million AUD (192.4 million USD)for ASEAN to fight the coronavirus.

Addressing the special meeting, Deputy ForeignMinister Nguyen Quoc Dung said ASEAN has shown the highest political resolveand promoted joint actions in line with the bloc’s theme of “Cohesive andResponsive” for 2020.

As each other’s strategic partners, ASEAN andAustralia should increase sharing information and experience, providingtechnical assistance, improving capacity, and staying vigilant against a secondwave of COVID-19. They should also ensure the interests and equal treatment ofASEAN countries’ citizens in Australia, and boost cooperation to minimise thepandemic’s socio-economic impact towards sustainable recovery, he noted.

In the current context, countries need to upholdtheir sense of responsibility even more and avoid taking any action that causesinstability or negatively affects efforts to curb the pandemic, according tohim./.