Hanoi, June 26 (RHC)-- Vietnam has warned the virus pandemic had swept away years of economic gains as Southeast Asian leaders met online.
"It has swept away the successes of recent years... threatening the lives of millions of people," Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a sobering opening address. He emphasised the "serious consequences" of the pandemic for economic development among ASEAN'S members.
ASEAN General Secretary Lim Jock Hoi confirmed the bleak outlook, warning the region's economy is expected to contract for the first time in 22 years.
