Moon to join ASEAN+3 virtual summit on coronavirus this week

SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will stress the importance of regional cooperation against the new coronavirus when he attends a video summit this week with leaders of China, Japan and ASEAN member states on the new coronavirus, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.

The special session is slated to open at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

In the upcoming ASEAN Plus Three (APT) video summit, participants plan to have "discussions on ways to coordinate in response to COVID-19 and minimize negative social and economic effects," Cheong Wa Dae's deputy spokesman Yoon Jae-kwan said.

Moon is to emphasize the need to strengthen regional health care cooperation and maintain global supply chains and "essential" business-related exchanges among countries, he added.

The leaders are scheduled to adopt a joint statement to sum up the results of their talks.

Speaking by phone with each other earlier this month, Moon discussed the summit plan with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Vietnam serves as chair of this year's ASEAN meetings.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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