Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng (fifth from left) presents medical supplies as gifts to Asia-Pacific countries' ambassadors in Việt Nam in a handover ceremony on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Quốc Dũng on Monday presented the token of medical supplies worth US$420,000 as gifts from the Vietnamese Government and people to eight countries in Asia-Pacific countries, to support their fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The donations were handed over to the Ambassadors to Việt Nam of Australia, India, and six ASEAN countries – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

The gifts, which are hoped to help the countries effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, include anti-bacterial cloth face masks, surgical masks, specialised protective clothing, and made-in-Việt Nam COVID-19 test kits.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Dũng highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation among countries to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping that the gifts will be of help to the countries in addressing difficulties caused by the ongoing public health crisis.

He expressed his belief that with efforts made by their governments and people, the countries will 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 their citizens and create favourable conditions for those who stay, especially international students, to have access to essential services.

For their part, the foreign diplomats thanked the Government and people of Việt Nam for the support, emphasising that these medical supplies are not only valuable material support, but also vivid evidence of the friendship and reliable partnership between Việt Nam and other countries.

The ambassadors praised Việt Nam’s success in dealing with the pandemic, saying that Việt Nam is a model in the fight against the virus.

They affirmed that their countries will continue to work closely with Việt Nam to minimise impacts of COVID-19 on socio-economic development, as well as to recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Previously, in April, the Vietnamese government also provided support for Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to help them in their fights against the disease. — VNS