Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said his country pledged to provide at least ¥200 million in aid to help Viet Nam fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh holds phone talks
with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu on Tuesday afternoon.
Photo: VGP

Motegi announced the aid during his phone talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Tuesday afternoon.

Over the past two months, Japan granted ¥20 million in medical supplies to the Southeast Asian nation, according to Motegi.

He spoke highly of the drastic measures deployed by Viet Nam in the fight against the pandemic, expressing thanks to the Government of Viet Nam for having taken care of and ensured safety for 20,000 Japanese living and working in Viet Nam.

Meanwhile, Deputy PM, FM Minh appreciated the assistance from the Government and people of Japan to Viet Nam to curb the spread of the virus.

As the current ASEAN Chair, Viet Nam has been working actively to coordinate and accelerate ASEAN’s joint efforts as well as cooperation between the bloc and partners in response to the pandemic.

Both sides underlined the importance of international collaboration in this fight through sharing of information and experience, manufacturing of vaccines and medical equipment and citizen protection among others.

The Japanese side vowed to proactively cooperate with Viet Nam over its initiatives on fostering ASEAN responses to the pandemic./.