30 July

DEPUTY Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Bharat Singh yesterday attended the Special Meeting between ASEAN Economic Ministers and Japan’s Ministry of Economic Trade and Industry on the region’s COVID-19 Response on behalf of U Thaung Tun, Union Minister for Investment and Economic Relations via videoconference. 

The meeting was chaired by Mr Tran Tuan Anh, Viet Nam’s Minister for Industry and Trade. The meeting was attended by Economic Ministers from ASEAN Member Countries, Japan and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat.

During the meeting, Mr Kajiyama Hiroshi, Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry delivered his opening remark and the Economic Ministers exchanged their views on the COVID-19 situation in ASEAN and Japan. 

Deputy Minister expressed his gratitude to the solidarity of all countries who are now fighting against the pandemic individually and collectively and shared the view of the importance of continuous exchange of information, best practices and successful policy implementation.

Minister also explained Myanmar’s ‘whole-of-nation’ approach to combatting COVID-19 aimed at mitigating the immediate and mid-term social and economic impacts guided by our COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP), which complement our longer-term Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan. 

Furthermore, he underscored the willingness to work together with Japan and other ASEAN Member States to en hance the resilience of regional economy in the post-pandemic era. 

After that, the Economic Ministers adopted the ASEAN-Japan Economic Resilience Action Plan.

The Action Plan offers a collective response not only for the current challenges but also for the initiatives for economic resilience beyond COVID-19 and proactive approach for future pandemic and economic crisis, particularly for financial support programme, technical support for industrial promotion and innovation, facilitating cooperation between public, private and academic sectors, promoting smart cities and capacity building program to develop LNG market.

Director-General of Foreign Economic Relations Department and other senior officials joinedwith Deputy Minister in the meeting.

MNA