EU-funded project for Southeast Asia’s COVID-19 response launched
An EU-funded project called “Southeast Asia Health Pandemic Response and Preparedness” was officially launched on June 2 by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell and ASEAN Secretary General Dato Lim Jock Hoi.
Beds are prepared at a temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) - An EU-funded project called“Southeast Asia Health Pandemic Response and Preparedness” was officiallylaunched on June 2 by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and SecurityPolicy/Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell and ASEANSecretary General Dato Lim Jock Hoi.
The 20 million EUR project will be implemented by the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) to enhance regional coordination in COVID-19response and strengthen the capacity of health systems in South-East Asia,while paying special attention to vulnerable populations.
Team Europe – consisting of the EU, its member states andfinancial institutions – have so far provided over 800 million EUR to assistASEAN in its pandemic response. The support is given to healthfacilities and health workers, provisions of personal protective equipment andsanitizers, as well as technical assistance and institutional support.
Team Europe also contributes to the financing of theCOVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, a global initiative to ensureequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to everyone including citizens of ASEAN.The initial contribution was doubled on February 19, 2021, making it one of thelead donors to COVAX with over 2.47 billion EUR in funding./.
ASEAN and EU experts discussed the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, the scaling up of vaccine manufacturing capacity and the possibilities and challenges of vaccine rollout, at the recent second EU-ASEAN Expert Dialogue on COVID-19 Vaccines.
The Thai Government is keeping an eye on a recent influx of people from Cambodia into its eastern border province of Sa Kaeo amid concern that many of them may be infected with COVID-19, while Laos plans to step up the screening of all people entering the country.
The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on June 2 released a joint statement saying that they join hands in supporting preparedness for and response to COVID-19 and furture health security threats in Cambodia.
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Beds are prepared at a temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
