ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi meets the media (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – ASEAN Secretary General Lim JockHoi highlighted the need to stay united and actively respond to the outbreak ofthe acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19), in linewith the Vietnam ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020’s theme “Cohesive andResponsive”, during a meeting with the media in Hanoi on February 19.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2020 ASEANDefence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat in Hanoi the same day, which setorientations to cooperation during ASEAN Year 2020 and made preparations forADMM and ADMM Plus later this year.
Lim lauded the ASEAN Chair’s Statement announced by PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the joint statement by ASEAN defence ministers atthe ADMM Retreat as evidence for regional solidarity and joint action againsthealth-related issues, reflecting ASEAN’s support to ensuring healthyenvironment for citizens.
He expressed his delight that the joint statement, under thedirection of Vietnam, was adopted after two days of discussions. Based on that,he hoped that action programmes will be built, especially in health care andmedicine.
The armies play an important role in coping with COVID-19outbreak, notably medical army centres, he said.
About ASEAN member states’ proposal to hold drills inresponse to the epidemic, Lim said ASEAN had experience in coping with the SARSepidemic in 2003, and suggested reviewing approaches to deal with COVID-19.
ASEAN’s ministries and agencies, including those in medical,defence, diplomatic and economic sectors, should work closely together toensure citizens’ health and maintain the bloc’s prosperity, he said./.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2020 ASEANDefence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat in Hanoi the same day, which setorientations to cooperation during ASEAN Year 2020 and made preparations forADMM and ADMM Plus later this year.
Lim lauded the ASEAN Chair’s Statement announced by PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the joint statement by ASEAN defence ministers atthe ADMM Retreat as evidence for regional solidarity and joint action againsthealth-related issues, reflecting ASEAN’s support to ensuring healthyenvironment for citizens.
He expressed his delight that the joint statement, under thedirection of Vietnam, was adopted after two days of discussions. Based on that,he hoped that action programmes will be built, especially in health care andmedicine.
The armies play an important role in coping with COVID-19outbreak, notably medical army centres, he said.
About ASEAN member states’ proposal to hold drills inresponse to the epidemic, Lim said ASEAN had experience in coping with the SARSepidemic in 2003, and suggested reviewing approaches to deal with COVID-19.
ASEAN’s ministries and agencies, including those in medical,defence, diplomatic and economic sectors, should work closely together toensure citizens’ health and maintain the bloc’s prosperity, he said./.
VNA
