THE 2025 Belt and Road Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management is being held in Hainan, People’s Republic of China, from 5 to 7 November, with Dr Soe Win, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, attending.
The meeting was attended by ministers and officials responsible for disaster management across the Belt and Road countries. In the meeting, the members of the Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management of the Belt and Road Countries delivered country-specific speeches, and the Union minister stated that the Council provides an excellent platform for member countries to discuss and develop solutions for disaster risk reduction, occupational safety, and emergency relief, as well as share best practices. He noted that the Council’s motto, “People First, People’s Livelihoods as the Top Priority,” aligns with his ministry’s goal of creating a safe and disaster-resilient society, welcomed the theme of BRIDRREM 2025, “A Community with a Shared Future: Building a Rapid and Efficient Emergency Rescue Mechanism,” and emphasized that Myanmar will collaborate with member countries to implement practical activities in line with this theme.
Yesterday afternoon, the Union minister met separately with Mr Wang Xiangxi, Minister of Emergency Management of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management of the Belt and Road Countries, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in emergency response, search and rescue, early warning systems, information sharing, and broader disaster risk management. The Union minister expressed his gratitude to the government and people of the People’s Republic of China for their assistance in the Mandalay earthquake response and recovery efforts, emphasizing the longstanding Pauk-Phaw friendship between the two countries. After the meeting, the Union Minister answered questions from Chinese media. — MNA/TH
