The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of International Cooperation held their second meeting on working group’s preparedness and response to COVID-19.
Present at the meeting were working group chairman and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directors-general of various departments, deputy permanent secretaries and group members.
In his address to the meeting, Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin said that in his capacity as Secretary (1) of the central committee, he coordinates assistance in international cooperation to prevention and containment of COVID-19, negotiating between ministries, and assisting international diplomats, expats and Myanmar nationals abroad.
The Union Minister said they are implementing the central committee’s directives and action plans in real time. He said they are issuing restrictions on people travelling from countries with COVID-19 outbreak, suspending issuing visas on arrival and E-visas, permitting entry of expatriates only with health certificate showing no COVID-19.
The Union Minister said they must continually monitor global situation and provide advice to the central committee on updating strategies accordingly and increase action plans as necessary. He said Myanmar nationals and UN officials in the country will be regularly updated on COVID-19 cases. He said each staff members should follow the guidelines closely and share them with their families and communities.
Next, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on the implementation of the central committee’s directives and the directors-general and members discussed international strategies employed against COVID-19.
The participants of the meeting also suggested to review the existing plans for tackling the impacts on the economy sector due to the COVID-19 crisis and to advice the better plans to the national-level committee, to coordinate with the embassies and foreign organizations to get assistance for preventing, control and treatment of the Coronavirus infection, to assist the foreigners in Myanmar in their leaving for their countries, to enforce the families of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of International Cooperation to follow the directives of the Ministry of Health and Sports in face of the COVID-19 crisis and to lay down plans to ensure that the working group effectively implement the raising awareness on COVID-19 and prevention of the disease.—MNA
(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
