NAY PYI TAW –Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun, today participated in the second meeting of the Regional Action Group for Asia-Pacific (APAC-RAG) - COVID-19 Action Platform, facilitated by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The Union Minister referred to the critical role played by supply chains in ensuring that essential medical equipment makes its way into the capable hands of frontline health workers while recalling that Myanmar had joined hands with the international community in issuing a joint ministerial statement pledging to ensure supply chain connectivity, and to guarding against restrictive measures that would threaten access to essential goods, including medical supplies.

Participants also exchanged views regarding COVID-19’s impact, including speeding up the region’s transition into the 4^th Industrial Revolution. The Union Minister drew attention to innovations emerging from Myanmar, including seeing Myanmar’s young innovators deploy robot technology to deliver food and medicines to those in quarantine, and the use of IT to monitor COVID-19’s spread, and the effectiveness of movement restriction orders.

The WEF Action Platform offers an action-oriented dialogue tool used by senior decision-makers to exchange perspectives and share insights regarding critical issues arising from the COVID-19 crisis and to strengthen regional resilience, develop coordinated responses, and enhance public-private cooperation.