Japan urged to share expertise on COVID-19 vaccine development

By ANIS FARHANAH MALEK
anisfarhanah@dagangnews.com

KUALA LUMPUR 29 July - Malaysia on behalf of the ASEAN urged Japan to share their expertise on the movement of essential medical supplies including vaccines and antiviral medication to the region.

Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said, as ASEAN continues their efforts towards economic recovery, therefore, the trade bloc looks towards Japan continuing to work closely.

“To my mind, reinforcing synergies is the way to go not just in battling COVID-19 successfully but also in ensuring our upward economic trajectory. Together, we must demonstrate strong solidarity, vision and leadership.

“I would like to reiterate that vaccine availability and affordability are paramount in combating this virus and that ASEAN should consider en bloc measures to procure vaccines in order to increase the chances of availability for the region,” said him during the Asean Economic Ministers – Minister Of Economy, Trade And Industry (AME-METI) Of Japan Video Conference On COVID-19 Response today.

The virtual meeting chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, Tran Tuan Anh with the presence of Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Hiroshi Kajiyama.

At the virtual meeting, Malaysia, regarded as one of the best in managing the COVID-19 impact, shared its experience and efforts to Japanese and ASEAN counterparts, both in curbing the spread of the virus and to put a balance onto the Malaysian economy. 

Azmin added, the trade bloc is also working towards more effective means to spearhead digital transformation for the region.

Therefore, he believes Japan could play an instrumental role in the context of ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea).

“I would like to share that with e-commerce becoming a new normal, we believe this will provide further boost to online spending and the use of digital applications in businesses.

“I hope that the ASEAN-Japan Economic Resilience Action Plan and all its initiatives will be executed in a timely and effective manner in order to achieve all the objectives,” he remarked. 

The Action Plan signifies a strong commitment and solidarity between ASEAN and Japan in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, both in health and economic fronts. - DagangNews.com