Prime Minister Hun Sen says Cambodia will donate 200,000 Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam to assist in the country in preventing the spread of Covid-19.

Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine, who is also head of the national Covid-19 vaccination committee, said on October 26 that she will hand over the vaccines to Vietnamese officials at the Bavet-Moc Bai border checkpoint in Svay Rieng province on October 29 on behalf of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

This is not the first time Cambodia has donated vaccines to neighbouring countries. In September, the Kingdom also dondated 200,000 vaccine doses to Laos.

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, told The Post on October 27 that the donations demonstrated the spirit of mutual assistance in emergencies, although Cambodia was not a country possessing abundant supplies of vaccines.

“Our country can afford to purchase vaccines and has also been given a considerable amount of them, which enables us to share them with others that are in trouble. It shows mutual assistance in difficult times,” he said.

Phea said providing assistance to other countries amid the prolonged pandemic was nothing new for Cambodia. The Kingdom has assisted many times in the global fight since February 2020, such as when the government allowed the Westerdam cruise ship to dock at Sihanoukville port and provide help to hundreds of passengers.

“On the other hand, we can say that this is an effort by the government to promote Cambodia’s prestige through various humanitarian activities,” he said.

Besides Covid-19 vaccines, Cambodia has also provided financial assistance and medical supplies to other countries including Myanmar, Laos, East Timor and Nepal.