A batch of 659,900 AstraZenaca COVID-19 vaccine doses arrives in Ho Chi Minh City-based Tan Son Nhat airport on July 29 morning (Photo: AFP/VNA)

In the letter, President Phuc thanked the EU for 2.4 million doses of vaccine through the COVAX mechanism. He said that Vietnam is facing difficulties to secure enough vaccines for nearly 100 million people and medical equipment for disease prevention. On the basis of the very good partnership and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, the President asked the EU to provide maximum support to Vietnam through aid activities, transferring vaccines, sharing technology, providing medical equipment to treat COVID-19 patients, and sharing experiences in pandemic response.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. In the letter, Prime Minister Chinh highly appreciated the momentum of relationship between Vietnam and the EU amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Prime Minister said he wants the EU to consider supporting vaccines for Vietnam and ask COVAX to give priority to allocating vaccines to Vietnam and ASEAN countries as the pandemic is still raging in the region.