Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds phone talks with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Photo: VNA)
PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam will implement the vaccination strategy effectively and safely in a timely manner.
He also proposed the WHO to support and assist Vietnam to become one of the vaccine production centres in the Asia Pacific region, adding that with the capacity of the medical sector of Vietnam as well as potential of some Vietnamese businesses, Vietnam could produce vaccines meeting international standards. He applauded the WHO Director-General’s suggestion to send WHO experts to support Vietnam in this process.
He appreciated the cooperation and support of the WHO for the development of the medical sector of Vietnam over the past 45 years.
Vietnam supported global medical efforts and appreciated the role of the WHO and the Director-General in coordinating international cooperation in disease prevention and control, particularly in COVID-19 prevention and control and in promoting equal COVID-19 vaccine access across the globe, he said.
During the pandemic, Vietnam has strived to implement the “dual goal” of fighting against the COVID-19 while recovering socio-economic development with support and cooperation of the international community, including the WHO, and of the Vietnamese people, and has achieved initial positive results, PM Chinh said.
For his part, Tedros spoke highly of Vietnam’s success in implementing the “dual goal”, particularly the country’s active and creative measures, resolute leadership of the Government and the participation of the whole political system, contributing to Vietnam’s pandemic prevention and control efforts to make the country an effective COVID-19 prevention model in the world which was widely popularised by the WHO.
He applauded Vietnam’s assistance to international friends in the fight against COVID-19 and thanked the Vietnamese Government for its commitment to contribute 500,000 USD to the COVAX programme.
The WHO Director-General also thanked Vietnam for receiving and successfully treating a UN staff member who contracted COVID-19.
Tedros said Vietnam would be prioritised to get quick access to sources of vaccines as well as become a vaccine production centre in the region. The WHO would send experts to support Vietnam’s vaccine research and production efforts meeting international standards, he added.
