Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung on May 18 presented the token of medical supplies worth 420,000 USDas gifts from the Vietnamese Government and people to eight countries inSoutheast Asia, South Asia and South Pacific.
The donations were handed over to theAmbassadors to Vietnam of Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore and Thailand.
The gifts, which are hoped tohelp the countries effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, include anti-bacteriacloth face masks, medical face masks, specialised protective clothing, andmade-in-Vietnam COVID-19 test kits.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Dung highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation among countries to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping that thegifts will partly help the countries address difficulties caused by the medical crisis.
He expressed his belief that with efforts made by their governments and people, the countrieswill quickly overcome this difficult time.
The official said he hopes the countries’ governments would continue to coordinate,especially through mechanisms led by ASEAN, to facilitate the repatriation of theircitizens and create favourable conditions for those who stay, especiallyinternational students, to have access to essential services.
Fortheir part, the foreign diplomats thanked the Government and people of Vietnamfor the support, emphasising that these medical supplies are not only valuablematerial support, but also vivid evidence of the friendship and reliablepartnership between Vietnam and other countries.
The ambassadors praised Vietnam's success in dealing with the pandemic, sayingthat Vietnam is a typical model in this fight.
They affirmed that their countries will continue to work closely with Vietnam tominimise impacts of COVID-19 on socio-economic development, as well as torecover from the epidemic.
Previously,in April, the Vietnamese government also provided support for Cambodia, Laosand Myanmar to help them in their fights against the disease./.