Prayut takes delivery of 3.2 million Pfizer vaccines donated by France
The French ambassador to Thailand on Monday handed over 3.2 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Ambassador Thierry Mathou met Prayut at Government House on Monday morning to formally hand over the vaccine shipment donated to Thailand by France.
After the meeting, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkrongchana said Prayut thanked France for the donation and lauded the envoy for helping coordinate close bilateral ties. The premier also pledged to continue cooperating with France in all dimensions, especially public health so the two countries can pull through the Covid-19 crisis together.
Prayut also promised that the donated vaccines would be distributed fairly among the public.
The vaccines are divided into two parts – 400,140 doses in normal packages with syringes and 2,868,480 ready-to-use doses.
The prime minister added that Thailand will also donate locally made AstraZeneca vaccines to other countries. So far, Thailand has sent shipments of AstraZeneca vaccines to its neighbours and some African countries, Prayut added.
Apart from thanking France for its friendly ties, Prayut also told Mathou that he was monitoring the French presidential elections and hoped everything goes smoothly.
The ambassador, meanwhile, said he was honoured to deliver the vaccines as it highlighted the friendship between the two nations.
Mathou added that he was confident both Thailand and France could exchange knowledge and experience learned from the Covid-19 crisis.
He added that he was ready to promote bilateral ties and the upgrading of a strategic partnership to promote cooperation between France and Asean countries.
Prayut and the envoy also congratulated each other on the signing of a roadmap for further strengthening bilateral ties during the recent Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers meeting in France.
Prayut also told the ambassador that he believes France, as president of the European Union Council, would help make EU policies more efficient. The two sides also had a constructive discussion about the Russia-Ukraine war, the spokesman added.
