VN consults ASEAN members about ASEAN Summit postponement

Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang made that statement on March 17 in response to the reporter’s inquiry about the organization of the 36th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

Viet Nam has been consulting ASEAN member countries and partners about the possibility of postponing the 36th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in early April amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region and the world, Hang said, adding that “We will issue a specific announcement after senior leaders make a decision”.

Viet Nam has presided over the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, which is themed “Cohesive and Responsive”. The 36th ASEAN Summit was scheduled to take place in the central city of Da Nang from April 6-9.

2020 is the significant year for ASEAN and Viet Nam as the bloc will conduct mid-term review of the implementation of the Master Plan on building ASEAN Community by 2025 while Viet Nam will take over non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

ASEAN consists of 10 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

By Thuy Dung