Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: chinhphu.vn)

President Widodo praised the Vietnamese government for its prompt and coordinated actions to contain the virus. He said he believes Vietnam is capable of halting the epidemic. Prime Minister Phuc praised Indonesia for its prompt measures to prevent an epidemic. There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Indonesia.

The two leaders called on all ASEAN nations to monitor each other’s activities in the spirit of the “Cohesive and Responsive”, theme of ASEAN 2020, and share the effort to prevent an epidemic in the region. ASEAN members responded to a similar SARS outbreak in 2013.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen coordination between ASEAN and China and supporting ASEAN citizens affected by the virus or stranded in the epidemic region.