Hanoi (VNA) – Permanent Deputy ForeignMinister Bui Thanh Son emphasised the importance of international cooperation inthe COVID-19 fight during the third phone talks with leaders of the ministries of foreign affairsof the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), India, Australia and New Zealandon April 3.

Son cited the appeal to allVietnamese people by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen PhuTrong on March 30, as well as directions by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, toreiterate the Vietnamese State and people’s resolve to prevent and control thepandemic.

Briefing his counterparts about the COVID-19 situationin Vietnam, Son said aside from the measures he shared during the previousphone talks, the Vietnamese Government has been stepping up actions to containthe spread of the coronavirus, including social distancing nationwide in 15days starting on April 1.

Highlighting the significance of internationalcooperation in the disease prevention and control, the deputy minister said thePM and leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam have continually held phonetalks with partners around the world to share experience and propose countermeasures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested other countries’ governments continue makingpolitical commitments so as to ensure that countries can access and have theirdemand for COVID-19 vaccines and medicines met if researches are successful.

Son also proposed foreign governments encourage theircountries’ businesses to maintain overseas investments, affirming that theVietnamese Government pledges to support foreign investors’ production andbusiness activities.

During the phone talks, the official of the USDepartment of State also affirmed that international cooperation plays acrucial role in the COVID-19 prevention and control, noting the US is focusingon producing medical equipment and it will soon have sufficient facilities toserve domestic demand and assist other countries.

This diplomat asked other countries to keep workingclosely together to repatriate their citizens and said the US is ready tocooperate with them in this regard. He also thanked the countries for theirparticipation in weekly phone talks, considering this an effective informationchannel helping to boost their coordination in the COVID-19 fight.

The deputy foreign ministers of Japan, the RoK, Indiaand New Zealand informed about their countries’ moves in response to thepandemic.

Meanwhile, their Australian counterpart offered thanksto the countries, especially Vietnam and the US, for helping to repatriateAustralian citizens, saying that it is necessary to increase sharinginformation and maintain goods transportation routes, particularly for medicalsupplies. The official added that Australia will continue assisting some SouthPacific and Southeast Asian nations.

Concluding the phone talks, the participants affirmedthat they will maintain information exchanges and boost international cooperationin the disease prevention and control in the time ahead./.