Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh chairs the ASEAN 2020 National Committee's fifth meeting in Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — The ASEAN 2020 National Committee convened its fifth meeting in Hà Nội on Friday, focusing on preparations for the upcoming 36th ASEAN Summit.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh, who is chairman of the committee, said the COVID-19 pandemic had largely impacted ASEAN in general and Việt Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in particular.

He, however, described these challenges as opportunities for Việt Nam to promote its role as ASEAN Chair.

Việt Nam had organised video conferences within ASEAN and between the group and its partners regarding the fight against the pandemic, and raised initiatives in line with the theme “Cohesive and Responsive”, he said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, who is general secretary of the committee, reviewed the work that had been done so far this year, especially the adjustments and supplements of Việt Nam’s activities and initiatives within the framework of the ASEAN Chairmanship under the impacts of COVID-19.

Regarding the implementation of the results of the Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN+3 Summit on COVID-19, as well as Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s initiatives presented at the events, Dũng said relevant ministries and agencies were speeding up the building of documents and measures that would be sent to other ASEAN members for feedback and submitted to the ASEAN Co-ordinating Council (ACC).

Representatives of ministries and agencies also proposed activities to be held in the future, with attention paid to ensuring security, safety and disease prevention and control for delegates.

Minh asked ministries of foreign affairs, industry and trade, and labour, invalids and social affairs to play a more active role in charge of the pillars of politics-security, economy and culture-society.

Greater efforts should be made to push ahead with the realisation of the results reaped at the two above-mentioned summits, he said.

Minh assigned the sub-committees and the ASEAN 2020 Secretariat to continue preparations for the 36th ASEAN Summit, and put forth suitable plans, programmes and scenarios.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) consists of 10 member states - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Việt Nam. — VNS