PM proposes two key tasks of ASEAN at summit

The 38th and 39th Summits of ASEAN and related meetings opened on October 26 under the chairmanship of Brunei – the country holding ASEAN chair in 2021. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the event.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed two key tasks that ASEAN should focus on doing in the time to come during the 38th ASEAN Summit.

Firstly, ASEAN needs a holistic, synchronous and flexible approach to COVID-19 control with the involvement of the entire community, with people and businesses being the centre and subject, and with the goal of addressing difficulties caused by the pandemic in the spirit of "benefits harmonised, risks shared".

Secondly, the Vietnamese Government leader stressed the necessity for ASEAN to position itself in the world’s reshaping socio-economic relationship, and consolidate its role as the nucleus of dialogue, cooperation and multilateral and multi-layered economic integration processes in the region.

In order to continue implementing Vietnam’s priorities in the ASEAN Chairmanship year 2020, PM Chinh announced a plan to organise the ASEAN Forum on Sub-Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth on November 30 in Hanoi.

At the summit, leaders of ASEAN countries discussed efforts to build the community and respond to the pandemic.

They agreed to ratify the ASEAN Travel Corridor Agreement Framework (ATCAF), and actively considered the possibility of mutual recognition and application of electronic vaccination certificates for people, among others./.

VNA