During a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Thi Anh Xuan on Thursday as part of a two-day visit to Vietnam, Swiss Vice President Ignazio Cassis announced the $5.46 million emergency medical aid including 500,000 rapid test kits, 300,000 antibacterial masks and 30 oxygen ventilators to Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country battles a new wave of Covid, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Cassis also praised Vietnam's efforts in responding to the ongoing Covid outbreak.

Xuan thanked Switzerland for its timely support, requesting it to help Vietnam access Covid-19 vaccine sources as well as continue to supply it with medical equipment to fight the pandemic effectively.

During his two-day visit to Vietnam that wrapped up Friday, Cassis also paid courtesy visits to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Cassis called for the early conclusion of the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) of which Switzerland is a member to create a strong impetus for bilateral trade and investment.

"We look forward to supporting Vietnam's sustainable development and making the economy more resilient to crises like the Covid-19 pandemic," Cassis said.

Since 1991, the Swiss government has provided 600 million francs to boost Vietnam's socio-economic development.

Vietnam has recorded over 196,000 local Covid-19 cases in the fourth coronavirus wave that struck the country late April.