Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung (R) presents 50,000 USD to WHO Representative in Vietnam Park Ki-dong on April 24, 2020, in Hanoi. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Speaking at a handover event on Friday in Hanoi, Mr. Trung reiterated Vietnam’s twin target of fighting epidemic and ensuring socio-economic stability. He also thanked WHO, WHO Office in Vietnam, the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Vietnam, and other UN organizations, for supporting Vietnam in its fight against Covid-19, solidifying the Vietnam-UN partnership over the past 40 years. Despite suffering from adverse impacts caused by the epidemic, the Vietnamese government, as a responsible member of the international community, ASEAN Chair of 2020, and a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2020-2021, presented 50,000 USD to WHO’s Covid-19 Response Fund to help mitigate the consequences of the pandemic.

Mr. Trung said Vietnam wants WHO to continue its central role in guiding and coordinating international efforts, living up to UN member countries' expectations as Covid-19 complex developments are hindering sustainable development process in the region and the wider world. He called for WHO’s continued support for developing countries, especially those with weak healthcare systems.