French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced at a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh that his country will donate nearly 1.4 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Southeast Asian country.

PM Chinh joined talks with PM Castex at Hôtel de Matignon in Paris on Wednesday (local time) as part of his official visit to France from November 3 to 5.

The two leaders praised the close relationship between the two peoples as well as the extensive and diverse development of the two nations’ strategic partnership.

PM Castex announced that France will gift Vietnam 1.37 million additional COVID-19 vaccine shots, including 970,000 doses via the COVAX Facility and 400,000 jabs via bilateral channel.

This latest support brings France’s total vaccine donations to Vietnam to more than two million doses.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously announced a donation of 670,000 vaccine shots to the Southeast Asian country on August 12.

On behalf of the Vietnamese government and people, PM Chinh thanked the French government for supporting Vietnam in its pandemic prevention and control efforts.

He also expressed his hope that France continues to share its experience, transfer vaccine production technology, and help Vietnam train medical personnel and adapt to life with COVID-19.

Both sides discussed plans to elevate the Vietnam-France relationship on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties in 2023.

They agreed to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and step up the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to create impetus for trade and investment linkages.

The leaders also discussed regional and international issues of shared concern, including the situation in the East Vietnam Sea.

As of Wednesday, Vietnam had received more than 113 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from contractual purchase, the COVAX Facility, and donations from other countries, according to the Ministry of Health.

About 34 million more jabs are expected to arrive in the country this month.

Vietnam has administered over 85 million vaccine doses since inoculation was rolled out on March 8.

About 25 million people have been fully inoculated, accounting for 35 percent of the country’s adult population.

Health authorities target to inoculate at least two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of next year.

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