Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung  (left) and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang  at the press conference on the 36th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi on June 23, 2020. (Photo: hanoimoi)

Ahmad Ibrahim Almutaqqi, head of the ASEAN Studies Program at Indonesia’s Habibie Center, said the event is important for the bloc as the coronavirus pandemic and political tensions simultaneously roil the region. It’s also a significant opportunity for ASEAN under the chairmanship of Vietnam to flourish, he said

According to Mr. Almutaqqi, Vietnam has done a good job of keeping the bloc running as normally as possible. Its organization of the summit is a clear example. Vietnam has proved its ability to maintain production despite the pandemic and to stand firm on East Sea issues. Mr. Almutaqqi said that what ASEAN members should focus on in the second half of this year is re-opening their economies without stoking a second wave of COVID-19 infections and laying a foundation for next year’s growth.

Laos’s Vientiane Times on Wednesday quoted the Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism as saying at the 23^rd ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting that Laos supports the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development. He called on ASEAN members to cooperate in the post-pandemic period to minimize the impact on people's livelihoods and the regional economy.