This year marks the 25th year of Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN. As Chair of ASEAN this year, the theme “Cohesive and Responsive” was chosen by the country. This theme has been put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic. How has Vietnam faced up to the challenge?
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of the SIIA, and Ms Jessica Wa’u, Assistant Director, ASEAN, SIIA, talked about ASEAN’s cooperation during the COVID-19 crisis and Vietnam’s contribution to ASEAN as Chair this year.
They mentioned that Vietnam has been lauded for its efforts in getting the infection numbers under control. Beyond its domestic efforts, Vietnam also played a key role in leading ASEAN’s collective response to the virus by convening dialogue sessions between member states in the first half of the year.
Even as countries reopen their economies, COVID-19 continues to be the greatest challenge for the region. ASEAN’s top priority would be to focus on economic recovery. Instead of looking inwards, ASEAN countries need to ensure their supply chains and communication remain open, while looking at ways to restart travel and tourism.
