NDO/VNA - Vietnam has reached agreement on the mutual recognition of vaccine passports with 19 countries as of April 7, said deputy spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Pham Thu Hang at the ministry’s regular press conference.

According to her, the countries are Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, India, Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Palestine, the Maldives, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey, Singapore, Saint Lucia, the Republic of Korea, Iran and Malaysia.

On April 4, the Ministry of Health announced that Vietnam will begin issuing vaccine passports from April 15.

In regards to the seventh edition of the Vietnam-China national border defence friendship exchange slated for late April, the deputy spokesperson said that exchanges between administrations at all levels, sectors and localities of Vietnam and China have been regularly maintained.

The upcoming annual event is hosted by the countries’ Ministries of National Defence and border guard forces, aiming to bolster understanding and mutual trust, as well as raise efficiency of the collaboration in border management and protection of the countries’ border guard forces in particular and armies at large.

It also looks to step up friendship exchange and cooperation between authorities and residents in border regions and the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and contribute to building the countries’ land border for peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and development.

Regarding the ASEAN-US summit, Hang said that ASEAN highly values the US’s proposal to hold the summit in celebration of the 45th founding anniversary of ASEAN-US relations.

Responding to China’s announcement to support COVID-19 vaccines for ASEAN, the deputy spokesperson said at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations in November 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged an additional 150 million vaccine doses for ASEAN countries.

Leaders of ASEAN nations welcomed the Chinese president’s proposal and are ready to receive the vaccines in an effort to repel COVID-19 in the region, Hang added.