HANOI: Economic ministers of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), China, Japan and South Korea on Friday reaffirmed the importance of open markets amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for efforts against the epidemic’s adverse impact. The economic ministers held an online meeting on Thursday, chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, and adopted the Asean Plus Three Economic Ministers’ Joint Statement on Mitigating the Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic. They encourage close coordination, especially among the customs agencies, to continue promoting trade facilitation measures, especially at land borders, according to the statement. They also welcome efforts to effectively utilize the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve to overcome possible food shortages and help ensure food security in the region during emergencies, said the statement. Asean, which was founded in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Manila Times June 05, 2020 16:45 UTC