Malaysia Seeks Partial Lift On Travel Ban To Boost Economy Amid Pandemic - Minister

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th June, 2020) ASEAN countries must agree on easing travel restrictions between counties where the sanitary situation is stable, as the countries need to boost the economy affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said at the 36th ASEAN summit on Friday.

"As a first step, we can explore the possibility of sectoral exemptions for travel restrictions such as medical tourism, or high-value economic visits... Possibly in the near future, we can also open up our borders for intra-ASEAN tourism to flourish and deliver the much-needed financial boost into our national economies," the prime minister said.

A similar view was also shared by the leaders of Brunei and Indonesia.

"We must act swiftly and decisively in coordinating a regional level response in revitalizing our economies. A well-coordinated response will ensure we emerge from this crisis stronger together, much like how we have weathered previous crises," Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

The current ASEAN summit focuses on the joint response to public health emergencies and a discussion of a plan for economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

ASEAN member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while Russia, Australia, India, China, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and the United States are also members of the ASEAN Regional Forum.