วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 28 ตุลาคม 2564
ASEAN and India reaffirmed to promote universal, equitable and timely access to COVID-19 medicines and vaccines.
ASEAN and India reaffirmed to promote universal, equitable and timely access to COVID-19 medicines and vaccines
October 28, 2021, at 1230hrs, at Bhakdi Bodin Building, Government House, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha attended and deliver a statement at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit via a videoconference. Attending the meeting were leaders of the ASEAN member states and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana disclosed gist of his statement as follows:
The Prime Minister welcomed Prime Minister Modi to the ASEAN-India Summit. Over the past two years, both ASEAN and India have been going through a challenging time to overcome the immense and unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 crisis. However, despite going through multiple pandemic waves, ASEAN-India cooperation remains strong as both sides continue to help each other in addressing such challenges. At a critical juncture towards the post-COVID-19 era, ASEAN and India need to work together by “looking beyond” the current situation and rebuild a resilient and sustainable future for succeeding generations. In this regard, the Prime Minister proposed three areas of cooperation as follows.
First is promoting universal, equitable and timely access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, which is the most effective exit strategy for this crisis. The Prime Minister welcomed India’s announcement to resume vaccine exports as ASEAN also counts on India’s capacity as the world’s leading manufacturer of medicines and vaccines. India’s decision will be key in managing the supply chain and logistics system to distribute COVID-19 medicines and vaccines in an effective manner. This will also help ensure that no one is left behind in this process. ASEAN and India could also work together to enhance the capacity of our public health system in the long run.
Second is enhancing connectivity to support a robust economic recovery. Both sides need to step up infrastructure development, regulatory excellence and the digital economy so that trade and investment could be expanded to its full potential. The Trilateral Highway project remains one of the key connectivity initiatives that would bridge the missing land links between ASEAN and India and could be further extended to other countries in South Asia, including those in BIMSTEC which Thailand will assume the Chairmanship in 2022 – 2023.
People-to-people connectivity should also be vitalized, especially through the revival of tourism sector which is the region’s key industry. Both sides need to work on rebuilding travelers’ confidence – reassuring them that they can travel safely and with ease. This could include exploring a possible cooperation framework for mutual recognition of vaccination certificates. Meanwhile, ASEAN and India could also exchange information and experience on the implementation of the tourism re-opening scheme. As for Thailand, the Phuket Sandbox has been launched as a pilot program since last July, and we are now moving ahead with step-by-step re-opening.
Last is advancing sustainable development partnership to chart the course towards a better future. As the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation, Thailand stands ready to take forward cooperation with India on green growth, Blue Economy and
sustainable use of marine resources, smart agriculture and renewable energy. These are areas where India could share experience and expertise with ASEAN so that both sides could help each other enhance “strengths” and maintain the “balance” between economic growth and environmental protection. This is in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economy or BCG Model, which could support the region’s COVID-19 recovery efforts. The Prime Minister encouraged India to collaborate with Thailand and ASEAN in this endeavor through the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue.
In closing, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the “looking beyond” approach in guiding the future direction of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in the post COVID-19 era, particularly as both sides look to celebrate the 30th anniversary of relations next year. The adoption of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific will not only promote complementarities between cooperation under the AOIP and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, but also support ASEAN centrality and create an environment of trust and confidence, contributing to overall stability and security in the region.