and called for support from the international community for the region.

A meeting of the UNSC (Photo: VNA)

In a joint statement delivered at an in-person meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Great Lakes Region in Africa on October 13, the two ASEAN member nations highlighted the importance of implementing peace, security and cooperation agreements to address remaining challenges in the region.

They shared views of the UNSC member nations in acknowledging cooperation efforts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and other countries in the region.

The statement stressed that the root causes of instability in the region must be addressed through strengthening conciliation and coordination in solving illegal activities of armed groups, strengthening development cooperation, as well as solving issues related to management of natural resources.

At the meeting, Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary‑General for the Great Lakes Region updated participants on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DR Congo and the Region over the last six months.

Xia said that the Great Lakes countries maintain their commitments to strengthen cooperation and implement peace, security and cooperation agreements.

He mentioned difficulties facing the region’s socio-economic development amid the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that the member nations of Great Lakes Region have so far reported 750,000 COVID-19 cases and they are making every effort to contain the spread of the disease and address socio-economic impacts caused by the health crisis.

The 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework was signed by 13 countries in the Great Lakes region to cooperate in maintaining peace in DR Congo and the region. The agreement is sponsored by the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Great Lakes Region and the UN.

Indonesia and Vietnam are both non-permanent members of the UNSC in 2020. The two countries have made several joint statements to promote ASEAN's voice and image since May. This month, the two countries made a joint statement on Mali's situation on October 8./.VNA