ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said as the pandemic has become a major global crisis, it requires forceful action at national, regional, and global levels.

The package is part of an aggressive set of actions to combat the pandemic, to protect the poor, the vulnerable, and wider populations across the region and to ensure economies will rebound as swiftly as possible, he said.

The ADB President underlined that the ADB stands ready to provide further financial assistance and policy advice down the road whenever the situation warrants on top of the initial response package.

He hailed Vietnam timely and effective measures in response to Covid-19.