Deputy Foreign Minister holds phone talks with other diplomats on COVID-19 fight

Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son hols phone talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Steven Biegun and  leading officials of the foreign ministries of the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and India on the situation of COVID-19, March 20, 2020- Photo: VNA

At the request of US Deputy Secretary of State Steven Biegun, Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on March 20 held phone talks with leading officials of the foreign ministries of the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and India on the COVID-19 situation.

During the phone talks, diplomats shared information on the complex and fast developments of the pandemic, adding that all these nations have given priority to mobilizing all resources and conducting strong measures to prevent the transmissions of the pandemic.

Son and other diplomats agreed that regional and international cooperation play a crucial role in stanching the transmissions of the virus and controlling the pandemic in the time to come.

Coping with COVID-19 is Viet Nam’s current top priority, the Vietnamese official asserted, adding the Vietnamese Government is very determined and mobilizing all the resources for the work. He suggested the US and other countries to continue sharing information and intensifying their cooperation with Viet Nam in this fight.

He supposed that all the nations should consolidate and uphold current regional and international mechanisms, including ASEAN’s mechanisms in handling with diseases, proposing countries continue launching measures to minimize consequences on economic growth and social stability.

Son expected that the international community’s common efforts and cooperation will make contributions to preventing the pandemic the time ahead.

The US Deputy Secretary of State and other officials spoke highly of Viet Nam’s strong and proactive measures in the COVID-19 fight, confirming that Viet Nam is among countries effectively coping with the pandemic. They also reaffirmed support for Viet Nam in the work in the future.

As of early March 21, Viet Nam has confirmed 91 COVID-19 infection cases, of whom 17 ones were cleared of the virus and discharged from hospitals.

The current patients include 23 foreign nationals from the UK, Germany, France, the US, Latvia, Czech Republic and Ireland./.

By Thuy Dung