Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin participated in the Videoconference of the Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on COVID-19 at 1:30 pm yesterday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw. The Meeting was co-chaired by Mrs Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Republic of Indonesia as Country Coordinator of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Relations and Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
At the Meeting, the Ministers exchanged views on enhancing ASEAN-Russia cooperation in response to public health emergencies and post-pandemic recovery, strengthening the role of ASEAN-led mechanisms in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and upholding international law and promoting regional architecture in post COVID-19 and ASEAN centrality.
Union Minister U Kyaw Tin informed the meeting that despite limitation in its resources, Myanmar has been able to keep the COVID-19 under control thanks to early response and the Whole-of-Nation approach taken by the government in addressing health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. He also apprised the meeting of the Government’s rigorous efforts in mobilizing peoples’ participation and promoting public awareness adhering to the principle of “Leaving no one behind” in the fight against the pandemic.
With regard to the strengthening of the ASEAN-Russia cooperation in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Minister welcomed the establishment of a platform for consultations between relevant public health agencies of ASEAN Member States and Russia for technical exchanges, information-sharing, networking and joint research and development of new tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of existing and new viruses. He also appreciated Russia’s continued commitments to provide trainings to ASEAN health sector specialist from ASEAN Member States, and stressed the importance of strengthening ASEAN-Russia cooperation to enhance national and regional health care capacity, fostering closer collaboration to sustain global supply chains and ensure the flow of essential goods and urgent medical equipment to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, and intensifying collective efforts in addressing the global pandemic through ASEAN-led mechanisms such as EAS,ADMM-Plus.
The Statement of the Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was issued at the Meeting. Also, present at the meeting were senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Sports.
-MNA
Photo: MNA
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar