China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Belarus

The COVID-19 vaccine aid provided to Belarus by the Chinese government arrived in Minsk, capital of Belarus, on Feb 19.

Belarusian Health Minister Dmitry Pinevich and Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Xie Xiaoyong received the vaccines at the airport and attended the handover ceremony.

Pinevich expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for providing the free and valuable vaccines to Belarus in his remarks at the ceremony.

The donation has implemented the important consensus reached in recent a phone call by the leaders of the two nations and showed once more that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries is able to stand the test of adversity, said Pinevich.

China-Belarus friendly cooperation remains unshakable and has become even firmer as time goes by. In the global context of struggling to fight against the pandemic, China’s donation of vaccines to Belarus added a new page to the history of the two nations’ exchanges and the Belarusian people will always keep the friendly assistance from the Chinese side in mind, Pinevich said.

Pinevich said that at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Belarus was among the first countries providing medical supplies assistance to China. After the pandemic emerged in Belarus, China in return offered donations of large amounts of protection suits, nucleic acid detection kits and other materials to Belarus.

China-made vaccines are safe and effective and will be conducive to protecting Belarusian people’s lives and safety, added Pinevich.

Xie said that the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership, which is based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation, has been stable and strong in recent years. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the common efforts of the two nations to fight against the virus have become a new highlight of their cooperation. The two countries offer mutual support and assistance, reflecting the deep-rooted friendship of their peoples.

At a time when China’s domestic and global demand for the COVID-19 vaccines is huge and supply is relatively insufficient, the Chinese vaccine donation to Belarus reflects the great importance China attaches to the bilateral relationship and is a vivid manifestation of the high-level bilateral ties.

The donation represents not only a concrete implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state but also a practical action to honor the Chinese pledge of making the vaccine a global public good, said Xie.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Belarus in the fight against the pandemic, and will provide anti-pandemic assistance within its capability. It will work together with Belarus to promote the building of the global community of health for all, he said.

The inactivated vaccines donated to Belarus were researched and manufactured by Chinese company Sinopharm and transported at no charge by Air China.