Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng attends the virtual dialogue on Thursday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Experts of leading economic organisations highlighted the need for international and trans-sectoral co-operation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to recover the economy at a virtual high-level dialogue on ASEAN's post-pandemic recovery on Thursday.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, Chair of Việt Nam's ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), attended the meeting at the invitation of ASEAN General Secretary Lim Jock Hoi.

Dũng also leads the ASEAN Co-ordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE).

The dialogue was organised by the ASEAN Secretariat to collect opinions on the process of developing ASEAN's overall plan for response and recovery after the pandemic as reached by the ASEAN Leaders at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June.

The dialogue drew hundreds of delegates from agencies of the three ASEAN Community pillars, international and regional organisations.

Experts of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and World Economic Forum presented an overall picture with little optimism over regional and global economic affairs after several months struggling with COVID-19.

To address the problems, the speakers recommended focusing on health, social protection, education, food security and high-quality infrastructure, emphasising the importance of digital technology and new applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

ASEAN's post-pandemic recovery process should avoid affecting the implementation of common sustainable development goals ASEAN and the region have been implementing, they said.

Dũng said the ASEAN’s economic recovery process should be carried out step by step, with a focus on production, tourism, and transportation, and should be inclusive by paying more attention to disadvantaged groups.

“The recovery measures should be suitable for the short, medium and long terms, as well as to balance the dual goals of controlling the pandemic and making quick economic recovery,” he told the dialogue.

The overall recovery plan will be a regularly-updated document to make it relevant to the practical situation of the pandemic. It should always put people at the centre, ensuring their security and safety as well as taking care of disadvantaged groups, he said.

The post-pandemic response and recovery overall plan will be submitted to ASEAN leaders for consideration at the 37th ASEAN Summit in November. — VNS