Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a G20 emergency videoconference during which leaders from the world’s 20 major economies discussed coordinated responses to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The videoconference took place from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (Vietnam time) on Wednesday as the initiative of Saudi Arabia, the current G20 chair.

Leaders from the Group of 20 – the world’s 20 largest economies – and guests representing major international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) attended the meeting.

As the current chair of ASEAN, Vietnam represented the bloc's interests during the videoconference, according to the foreign ministry’s spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.

The leaders attending the videoconference pledged to use monetary, fiscal, and economic policy instruments to minimize the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic development and international trade, while ensuring uninterrupted supply chains across borders, particularly for medical supplies and other vital necessities.

They were committed to a joint statement on their determination, commitment, and solidarity in fighting COVID-19 prevention, as well as their dedication to promoting sustainable and inclusive global economic development.

Speaking at the summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed that solidarity and global and regional cooperation are very important in the prevention of COVID-19.

He also affirmed Vietnam’s determination and commitment in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, underlining that Vietnam is persistent in implementing its dual goal of disease control and continuing its economic development.

The PM stated that Vietnam, as the ASEAN 2020 chair, has been working with ASEAN countries to dignify the spirit of a cohesive and proactive community able to strongly implement measures and coordinate actions against COVID- 19, as well as sharing information and experience with its G20 countries and partners.

The prime minister welcomed the important role and active contribution of the G20 as well as international organizations such as the UN, WHO, WB, IMF, and WTO in the fight against the virus.

Prime Minister Phuc also used his time during the teleconference to share the measures Vietnam has taken to promote cooperation and joint action in coping with COVID-19, such as increasing its informational and experiential exchanges, as well as offering technical support in testing, control, and treatment of the disease. 

According to Phuc, Vietnam has been gaining the consensus, cooperation, and participation of people, social organizations, and armed forces in the battle against COVID-19.

He discussed the country’s focus on fighting the pandemic while promoting and facilitating trade and investment cooperation, maintaining supply and production chains, creating jobs, maintaining daily stability, and enhancing cooperation to ensure the safety of Vietnam’s and other ASEAN countries’ citizens.

At Thursday’s videoconference, the G20 said it was “injecting over US$5 trillion into the global economy, as part of targeted fiscal policy, economic measures and guarantee schemes” to blunt economic fallout from the pandemic, Reuters reported.

The amount is about the same as G20 countries injected to prop up the global economy in 2009, according to Reuters.

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 532,000 and killed more than 24,000 globally as of Friday, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health's statistics.

Vietnam has confirmed 153 COVID-19 cases, with 20 having recovered. No deaths related to the disease have been recorded in the country.

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