Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha (Photo: AFP)
Bangkok (VNA) – Prime Minister and DefenceMinister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha underlined the significance ofmultilateral cooperation in bringing COVID-19 under control and sustainableeconomic recovery while attending the online 12th Mekong-Japan Summit onNovember 13.
Prayut highlighted cooperation reinforcement between Mekong countries and Japan inthree areas.
The first one isstrengthening public health cooperation to drive the Mekong sub-region towardsachieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, in which Thailand standsready to share experience with all member countries.
The Thai PM also emphasised thecountry’s advocacy of affordable and equitable access to medicines andvaccines, and to make them global public goods.
Secondly, the countries needto enhance connectivity to strengthen seamless, resilient, and sustainablesub-regional supply chains, especially through infrastructure development, inwhich Japan could take part in.
Prayut also underscored theimportance of and Thailand’s endorsement on the drafting of a master plan topromote regulatory and digital connectivity.
Promoting sustainabledevelopment and grassroots development in the Mekong subregion is also amongthe areas. He expressed Thailand’s readiness to co-host with Japan the first Mekong-Japanforum on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where Thailand is pleased toshare experience on the New Economy and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy thecountry has been adopting to promote sustainable development without leavinganyone behind.
Inconclusion, the Thai PM congratulated Japan’s declaration for 2021 to beMekong-Japan Cooperation Year, hoping to work closely with Japan in enhancingsecurity, prosperity, and sustainability of the Mekong region.
During the second Mekong-RoK Summit heldearlier the same day, Prayut commended the RoK’s continued support to theMekong-RoK Cooperation Fund (MKCF) and expressed readiness to support the RoK’sinitiative to elevate Mekong-RoK cooperation.
The Thai PM highlighted the need tostrengthen public health cooperation through sharing of experience and bestpractices in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is in line with the recently approvedproject proposed by Thailand, under the 4th Batch projects under the MKCF.
Thailand also supports the safe, efficient,affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in the region, and theestablishment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, which is in line withthe country’s policy to promote Public-Private-People Partnership, as well asGoal 3 of the SDGs.
Prayut also underscored the enhancement ofconnectivity to strengthen subregional supply chains.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, there is aneed to reconnect economies and the subregional supply chains which have beendisrupted, and to promote the resilience of the supply chains to ensuresustainable post pandemic economic recovery.
On November 12, the Thai PM attended anddelivered a speech via a teleconference at the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summitunder theme “Women’s Role in Building a Cohesive, Dynamic, Sustainable andInclusive ASEAN Community in a Post COVID-19 World”.
According to Thai Government spokespersonAnucha Burapachaisri, while addressing the event, PM Prayut commended Vietnam for recognising the importance ofcontinually strengthening the capacity of women.
A wide range of views has been exchangedwith fruitful conclusions at the ASEAN Leaders’ Special Session on “Women’sEmpowerment in the Digital Age”, recently held this past June, contributingtowards achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
The Thai Government has implemented variousmeasures to alleviate the suffering of women who are affected by social andeconomic impacts.
He suggested two issues that ASEAN needsto prioritise, in particularly, accessibility to capitaland digital technology should be facilitated, in order to strengthen the roleand capacity of women who own MSMEs to generate income and become self-reliantthrough the adaption of business development strategies to correspond with theCOVID-19 situation.
Furthermore, women’s role in public healthshould be promoted, both during and after the pandemic. In June, the Thai PMunderlined the role of women as Village Health Volunteers, who have made asignificant contribution in containing the spread of infection in localcommunities.
It is evident that the efforts carried outby millions of Thai women as Village Health Volunteers provides a strongfoundation on which the Thai public healthcare system is based, and that theyhave become an important factor for Thailand in managing COVID-19 infections toa satisfactory level./.
