Hanoi (VNA) ✱– Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucattended the virtual G20 Leaders' Summit that is underway from November 21-22.

Attending the first session themed “Overcoming the Pandemic,Restoring Growth and Jobs”, PM Phuc highlighted a need to strengthen globalpolicy coordination, act in unity, and uphold multilateral cooperation to driveback COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking highly of promoting macro policy coordination ineconomic recovery, he affirmed that as the ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam along withother ASEAN member states and partners upheld the spirit of cohesive and responsive,and took drastic actions to cope with the pandemic and maintain collaboration inbuilding ASEAN Community 2025. To overcome the pandemic and restore sustainability, he called for countries toactively adapt to the “new normal” period, adopt concerted andharmonious measures to recover the economy in combination with ensuringpandemic prevention and control. He said it is necessary to take a fair approach to COVID-19vaccine and medicines at a reasonable cost, suggesting G-20 countries buildan agreement to produce vaccines with global partners via technologicaltransfer and intellectual property protection, thereby speeding up vaccineproduction and distribution on a large scale. On the economic field, he affirmed the important role of cross-bordertrade and investment facilitation, and maintaining supply chains, particularly keynecessities, food and medical equipment. The Vietnamese leader expressed support for rules-basedmultilateral trade participation in a free, open, fair, transparent, andinclusive manner with the World Trade Organisation as a centre. He proposed that G20 continue upholding its pioneer role informing global frameworks, agreements and rules in digital economic governance. Participants pledged to pool necessary resources to protectpeople’s lives and livelihoods, restore economic growth and create jobs, and ensurefair approach to COVID-19 vaccine at a reasonable cost. They lauded multilateral development banks for providingfinancial support for countries in the fight against the pandemic, and vowed tocontinue with the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) for developingnations in 2021. Leaders highlighted the role of multilateral trade system instepping up global trade and economic recovery, and affirmed political supportto foster the WTO’s necessary reform and strengthen the resilience of regionaland global supply chains. They also affirmed the important role of connectivity and freedata flow in combination with ensuring trust in digital economic development./.