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SINGAPORE – The region should ensure an equitable, consistent and affordable supply of Covid-19 vaccines for its population once they become available, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the Asean Summit on Thursday (Nov 12).
He called for “vaccine multilateralism” and highlighted the importance of regional cooperation to mitigate the long-term impact of the pandemic at the remote meeting this year.
He added that Singapore supports global vaccine initiatives, such as the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) facility, whose members include many ASEAN states, as well as the country’s external partners.
“Our external partners, as well as ASEAN member states, are developing many leading candidate vaccines,” said Prime Minister Lee. “We should work with them to facilitate the production and distribution of vaccines to meet the needs of our region.”
Singapore will contribute US $ 100,000 (Singapore $ 134,900) to the ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund, which helps member states acquire the medical supplies and equipment needed to combat the pandemic.
On the economic front, leaders should redouble efforts to improve Asean’s competitiveness in the post-Covid-19 world, Lee added. He noted that there are existing frameworks that can be built on, such as the Asean Connectivity Master Plan 2025 and the Asean Smart Cities Network. In addition, the recently launched Asean Customs Transit System helps facilitate the cross-border flow of goods.
“These initiatives can catalyze our recovery and allow us to make full use of technology as we adapt to new ways of living and doing business in the post-Covid world,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that ASEAN has made progress in several areas, including mid-term reviews of ASEAN Community Blueprints. He has started to develop the vision of the Asean Community after 2025 and is expected to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement on Sunday after years of negotiations.
But a challenge ahead will be that the rivalry between the great powers is not absent in Southeast Asia, with the tensions between the United States and China that subject the region to greater tension and put the centrality and unity of ASEAN to the test. Lee said.
Still, Asean can make a modest contribution to better mutual trust and cooperation among the major powers.
“Our regional architecture is open and inclusive by design, with Asean at its center,” added Lee. “We must maintain our value proposition of providing a neutral platform for countries to work together on regional and global challenges such as fighting terrorism, cyber security and cross-border haze pollution.”
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