"ASEAN+3 Virtual Summit to be Held on the 14th... Discussing COVID-19 Response Measures"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] South Korea, China, Japan, and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to hold the 'ASEAN＋3 Virtual Summit' on the 14th to discuss cooperation measures in response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the Vietnamese online media 'Zing' on the 9th, Nguyen Quoc Trung, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, said at a press conference on the 9th, "The ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN＋3 Summit will be held virtually on the 14th."

Vietnam is the chair country of ASEAN this year.

The Deputy Minister explained, "We regret that the 36th ASEAN Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 8-9, has been postponed to the end of June," adding, "In a situation where it is impossible to predict when the COVID-19 crisis will end, this virtual meeting format is appropriate."

It was reported that the ASEAN Virtual Summit will be held in the morning of the 14th, followed by the ASEAN＋3 Virtual Summit in the afternoon.