Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu co-chairedthe 13th Mekong - Japan Ministerial Conference on July 9, focusing onpromoting cooperation between Mekong countries and Japan in the fight against the COVID-19pandemic.

The online conference, which also saw the participation of foreign ministers from Cambodia,Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, also discussed measures to bolster trade and investmentcooperation to speed up economic recovery in each country following the pandemic.

In his speech, Minh emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach that bothresponds to the pandemic and recovers the economy.

While sharing Vietnam’s experience in containing the disease, he affirmed the timelinessand effectiveness of the comprehensive policies adopted by the Vietnamese Government.

Vietnam is continuing to apply measures to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19while at the same time gradually reopening its economy, Minh said.

Mekong-Japan cooperation could effectively support the economic recovery processof member countries by giving priority to fields that help restore regional supplychains, stimulate consumption, and strengthen the capacity of health systems, hestressed.

Minh proposed specific groups of solutions, includingstrengthening the complementariness and enhancing the general strength of economies, in particularpromoting enterprises’ investment in infrastructure projects; supporting the industrialisationprocess in Mekong countries; facilitating trade and investment cooperation; andcreating favourable conditions for high-quality goods from Mekong countries to enterJapan.

He also highlighted the significance of increasing human resources for healthcare facilities,improving Mekong countries’ capacity to monitor diseases, produce vaccines, andbuild laboratories; and urgently implementing the “Mekong-Japan Initiative for SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) towards 2030”, especially in the context of the MekongRiver basin being seriously affected by severe drought and saline intrusion.

The Deputy PM also expressed his sympathy with the Japanesepeople over the losses of life and property from to the recent floods and thankedJapan for its valuable assistance to Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19.

Participants reaffirmed the need to strengthen joint efforts in preventing the disease and promote economic recovery in the context of complicated movementsin the global economic situation.

Regarding health cooperation and disease prevention, the delegatesagreed to promote transparent and timely information sharing among countries onpolicies and measures to respond to COVID-19; expand cooperation in epidemiologicalresearch and attract resources for anti-viral vaccine development and production;and cooperate to improve national health systems in each country.

They agreed to strengthen cooperation in ensuring the operation of regional supplychains, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to adapt to new circumstances,maintaining trade and investment flows, and enhancing scientific and technologicalapplications in agricultural production; and developing high quality infrastructure.

The ministers highly valued the cooperation betweenJapan and the Mekong region in the fight against COVID-19, and applauded initiativesproposed by the Japanese side at the meeting.

Accordingly, the Government of Japan will provide 56 million USD worth of medicalequipment and technical training for health workers in Mekong countries and provideat least 50 million USD to regional countries to improve their capacity to copewith the pandemic; provide a loan to support the emergency response to the COVID-19crisis; and deploy the KUSANONE Mekong initiative for the SDGs with total non-refundableaid of 1 billion JPY (9.3 million USD) to help Mekong countries implement projectson improving public health, education, agricultural productivity, and building cleanwater systems and improving the living environment./.