EU mobilizes €350 million to help ASEAN countries fight COVID-19

The European Union (EU) announced that it is mobilizing €350 million (US$ 378 million) to assist Southeast Asian countries in the battle against COVID-19.

The funds will be allocated to ASEAN member countries to address the health crisis, strengthening healthcare systems and alleviating economic and social impacts from the pandemic.

“In difficult times, ASEAN can count on the European Union. The EU and ASEAN are regional organizations bound by 42 years of solidarity and partnership," EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans said in a statement.

"By mobilizing €350 million in support of ASEAN countries, the EU is demonstrating its friendship with the people of the region," he added.

The EU announced on April 4 that it would commit more than €20 billion to support partner countries in the fight against COVID-19 under a program called Team Europe.

It will distribute the funds to vulnerable countries in Africa, the western Balkans, eastern partner countries, the Middle East and North Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The regional bloc had also channeled some €48.5 million to fund 18 research projects on COVID-19, particularly those related to protective equipment, to improve modeling of the spread of the virus, rapid diagnostics techniques as well as treatments and vaccines.

As of April 28, the tally of COVID-19 infections has topped 3 million cases globally, with more than 211,000 fatalities across the globe.

Viet Nam has confirmed 270 COVID-19 infection cases, of whom 221 have recovered and were discharged from hospitals.

By Thuy Dung