Recognizing that no country can defeat Covid-19 on its own, Vietnam has, since the early days when the disease emerged, joined forces with other countries to address this challenge.

Proactive in enhancing international integration

At the online G20 summit on Covid-19 response last Thursday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said global and regional solidarity and cooperation are of great importance. He reiterated Vietnam’s strong determination to contain the epidemic, while boosting economic growth and ensuring social security.

Over the past few days, Vietnamese leaders have held phone talks with their foreign counterparts to discuss the Covid-19 situation and ways to fight the disease together.

The Vietnamese leaders shared Vietnam’s response measures, which have included barring entry to foreigners, encouraging social distancing, enforcing quarantines at home or at health care facilities, closing nonessential businesses, and cancelling public gatherings. They said Vietnam has mapped out treatment plans for Covid-19 patients, produced test kits, conducted DNA sequencing of the virus, and promoted research to find a vaccine.

At an online ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting on combating Covid-19 on March 20, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair for 2020, has worked closely with other ASEAN countries to improve the ASEAN Community’s readiness to respond to the pandemic and mitigate its economic impacts. ASEAN countries have implemented coordinated measures, shared information and experience, provided one another with technical support, and activated emergency response mechanisms within ASEAN and between ASEAN and its partners.

Vietnam has asked the EU to provide technical support, boost research into controlling and treating infections, ensure equal treatment for ASEAN citizens in the EU, and work closely with ASEAN to minimize the economic impacts of the disease.

Disease response defined as top priority

The Vietnamese government is making COVID-19 response its top priority and considers international cooperation the key to ending the pandemic. Vietnam intends to further strengthen cooperation with ASEAN members and partners, the World Health Organization, and the international community to contain the disease and protect people’s lives, while maintaining national development.