Hanoi (VNA) – An official of the Vietnamese NationalAssembly has suggested continuing to review and perfect the legal framework topromote trade facilitation to ensure uninterrupted circulation of goods andsupply chains in the ASEAN region.

Nguyen Manh Tien, Vice Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Foreign Affairsand Head of the Vietnamese NA’s Delegation, made the suggestion at a virtual meetingof the Committee on Economic Matters of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEANInter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) on September 9. The meeting focused onthe topic “The Role ofParliaments in Promoting ASEAN Cohesiveness and Economic Recovery post-COVID 19”.

Tien said over the past several months, ASEAN countries have taken theirown measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic as well as respond to the economicimpacts of the pandemic. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a medicalcrisis, but a crisis for the growth when international trade and supply chainsare disrupted.

Facing this situation, the Vietnamese delegation was deeply concernedabout the great losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in ASEAN countries, hesaid, adding that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a greathindrance to the economies of ASEAN countries as well as their internal andexternal trade activities.

Therefore, the economic integration in promoting economic growth andrecovery of ASEAN member countries and the good implementation of digitaleconomic activities will be of profound importance, playing an important rolein strengthening ASEAN economic integration as well as ASEAN’s readiness torespond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that spirit, Tien recommended the ASEAN community to unify toimplement a series of breakthrough and feasible solutions, which are:

Firstly, promoting accelerated exchange of information relating to tourism and healthand other necessary measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic;promoting the safety in travelling, applying safety standards and medicalprocedures to facilitate cross-border movement of ASEAN citizens, and adheringto international health and safety standards as well as commitments underrelevant Agreements among ASEAN member countries;

Secondly,studying the concept of "travel bubble" between "greencountries" as a preliminary initiative in the process of reopening theborder, forming safe travel zones within ASEAN and proposing to issue referenceguidelines to all ASEAN member countries without prejudice to commitments underthe relevant agreements among ASEAN member countries;

Thirdly, continuing to review and perfect the legal framework to promote tradefacilitation, to ensure uninterrupted circulation of goods and supply chains inthe region; building open, sustainable and responsible investment policies inthe region; ensuring food security and agricultural value chains; increasingthe use of renewable energy; proceeding to build a circular economy;

Fourthly,speeding up the ratification of regional trade agreements and treaties; prioritisingefforts to finalise negotiations and sign the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) by 2020; strengthening capacity, participation andstrengthening parliamentary oversight of the implementation of trade andinvestment commitments within the regional and international frameworks,considering it as a key tool to promote broader economic linkages within theASEAN Community and between ASEAN and other partners.

Fifthly,enhancing the development of digital infrastructure, digital connectivity,digital data security, digital knowledge and skills connecting ASEAN membercountries to develop the digital economy; sharing information and experiencesto handle challenges facing e-commerce platforms; taking advantage of theopportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to overcome the disadvantagesof economic lockdown and social distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic andremaining competitiveness in the digital economy era.

Sixthly,building regional connectivity infrastructure, enhancing transport connectivityand the need to strengthen cooperation in the Mekong sub-region and other ASEANsubregions, especially on environmental protection, smart agriculturedevelopment and sustainable management of transboundary natural resources toensure food, water and energy security in the subregions during and after theCOVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting,delegates spoke highly of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s efforts to hold the41st General Assembly of AIPA via a teleconference as the COVID-19 pandemic is ragingin the region and the world.

They discussed measuresto mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 while fine-tuning legal frameworks topromote economic recovery when the pandemic is put under control.

The participants affirmedthe importance of economic connectivity, including maintaining supply chains,in promoting ASEAN member nations’ economic growth and comprehensive recovery.

They also called forcooperation among AIPA member parliaments in building new legal frameworks toinstitutionalise national preparedness and response mechanisms against COVID-19and future pandemics.

A Resolution on theRole of Parliaments in Promoting ASEAN Cohesiveness and Economic Recovery Post-COVID-19was approved at the end of the meeting.

The Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) now comprises 10 members, namely Brunei,Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Vietnam./.