Union Minister U Kyaw Tin participates in the Video Conference of the Special ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on COVID-19

Ministry of International Cooperation/ Nay Pyi Taw / June 30, 2020

Australia announces a package of initiatives on COVID-19 response and recovery

Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin participated in the Video Conference of the Special ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on COVID-19 at 2:00 p.m today from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw.

The Meeting was co-chaired by Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Foreign Minister of Malaysia as Country Coordinator of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations and Madame Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Women of Australia. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.

At the Meeting, the Ministers underscored the importance of enhancing ASEAN- Australia cooperation in three areas of mutual interests namely health security, stability and economic recovery. The Ministers appreciated the substantial ASEAN-Australia cooperation and welcomed a package of initiatives to strengthen ASEAN- Australia partnership on COVID-19 response and recovery. The Ministers also discussed to continue cooperation through ASEAN-led regional mechanisms to mitigate the health, economic and social impacts of COVID-19.

Union Minister U Kyaw Tin updated the Meeting on the measures taken by the Government to control the pandemic and mitigate its economic impacts and to ensure early recovery. He added that despite limitation in its resources, Myanmar has been able to keep 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 taking preventive and control measures for vulnerable segments including IDPs by adhering to the principle of “leaving no one behind” in the fight against the pandemic.

With regard to strengthening the ASEAN-Australia cooperation in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Minister welcomed Australia’s commitment to use over 630 million USD to support the global effort to fight COVID- 19. The Union Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening ASEAN-Australia cooperation in public health and digital health to facilitate adaptation to the new normal, expediting upgradation of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (ANNZFTA) to revitalize the regional economies and the expeditious conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. As migrant workers are one of the groups most affected by COVID-19, the Union Minister also stressed the need to foster closer cooperation to mitigate the socio-economic impacts fall upon migrant workers during the time when businesses are facing economic hardships.

The Co-Chairs’ Statement of the Special ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 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.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Nay Pyi Taw.

30 June 2020