FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, and Asean Foreign Ministers during the Special Asean-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Covid-19. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation of the Asean-Russia strategic partnership through possible cooperation in vaccine research, technical exchanges, and increased pandemic preparedness. (Photo courtesy of DFA)
MANILA – The Philippine government has called for cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Russia in addressing the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis in the region.
Foreign Ministers from Russia and Asean member states on June 17 convened a virtual meeting on Covid-19 and discuss ways to manage recovery and deal with long-term socio-economic challenges posed by the disease.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of supply chains and called for cooperation to increase the resilience and adaptability of markets that must be kept open to avoid stagnation of economic activity.
He said every week without economic movement meant losing ground as diminishing purchasing power makes for a more difficult recovery.
Locsin found it imperative for Covid-19 to lead the agenda of the 15th East Asia Summit.
He emphasized the need for fresh thinking on solutions to the impact of the pandemic on the global economy as well as on security.
Locsin noted that the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific is premised on Asean being in the driver’s seat in the region’s security architecture, based on the principles of inclusiveness, openness, cooperation and respect for international law.
He expressed the hope that Russia as a Pacific power contributes to shoring up this regional architecture.
At the Special Asean-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, many ministers expressed their desire to step up economic recovery plans alongside a sustained focus on health management so that the region emerges stronger from the crisis.
The ministers agreed to use Asean-led regional mechanisms to put forward people-centered policies in responding to pandemics, ensuring that people are equally provided with health care, treatment, and consular assistance while maintaining the momentum of economic integration and openness in the region with unimpeded trade and supply chain connectivity.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured Asean of Russia’s commitment to the Asean-Russia Strategic Partnership.
He also noted that “pandemics affect global politics significantly” and affirmed Russia’s commitment to pursue a collective response to prevent, control, and contain the infectious diseases with Asean using Asean-led mechanisms.
Meanwhile, both sides emphasized that the pandemic should not weaken, but instead bolster the Asean-Russia partnership and that continuously strengthening cooperation is key to overcoming the unprecedented and multidimensional challenge of Covid-19.
“We have entered a brave new world in the writer’s original sense: a world that will need bravery to survive, the courage to dare, and above all trust among everyone to prevail,” Locsin said. (PNA)
