At the hand-over ceremony (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung on April 24 symbolically handed over 50,000 USD as a contribution of the Vietnamese Government and people to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s COVID-19response fund.
The handoverceremony was attended by representatives from the Government Office, the Ministriesof Health and Foreign Affairs, the UN, and WHO Representative in Vietnam KidongPark, among others.
Trung reiteratedthe Vietnamese Government’s twin targets of containing the pandemic and ensuringsocio-economic stability and social welfare.
He usedthe occasion to thank the WHO and relevant UN agencies in general and the WHO Office and UN Resident Coordinator Office in Vietnam in particular for their support to the country during the fight against the pandemic, helping to deepen the partnership betweenVietnam and the UN.
As an activeand responsible member of the international community, ASEAN Chair 2020, and a non-permanentmember of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, Vietnam decided to contribute 50,000USD to the WHO fund to help ease the adverse impacts of the pandemic, Trung said.
He calledon the WHO to maintain its central role in leading and coordinating internationalefforts, meeting the aspirations of member countries while continuing to assistdeveloping countries, especially those with a poor healthcare system.
For hispart, Kidong Park said Vietnam is taking the lead in medical diplomacy and thankedthe Vietnamese Government and people for their support to the COVID-19 response fund.
He congratulatedVietnam on its achievements in containing the pandemic, with more than 80 percentof patients recovering, no fatalities recorded, and no new cases reported for thelast eight days.
He attributedits results to the drastic engagement of the Government, ministries, and agenciesas well as public support.
WHO agreedwith a proposal Vietnam raised at the Ministerial Video-Conference of the Alliance for Multilateralism on April 16 regarding solidarity, sharing,prevention, and post-COVID-19 economic stimulation, and backed the country’s initiativeto designate a global solidarity day against disease, he said./.
VNA
