Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed received Chinese Ambassador to Cairo, Liao Liqiang, at the Health Ministry office on 20 July 2020. Dr Zayed and Mr Liqiang discussed Egypt’s participation in international testing of potential coronavirus vaccine, in collaboration with a Chinese pharmaceutical firm.
Attending the meeting were high ranking officials from the Ministry of Health.
According to Khaled Megahed, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, the Egyptian and Chinese sides discussed cooperation between the Ministry of Health’s Holding Company for Production of Vaccines, Sera, and Drugs, known as VACSERA, and a Chinese firm conducting tests to produce a vaccine against coronavirus. The objective, Megahed explained, is to manufacture this vaccine in Egypt once its effectiveness is confirmed. The initiative is to be carried out under the auspices of the Egyptian and the Chinese governments.
Mr Megahed said it was agreed that Egypt would become a hub for the production of the vaccine in Africa. The quality and capacity of production lines in Egypt will be assessed to begin manufacturing the vaccine once it is developed, he added.
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador expressed his pride in Chinese Egyptian cooperation, commending Egypt’s management of the coronavirus crisis; COVID-19 cases in Egypt have dropped to below 700 a day. He thanked Dr Zayed for her visit to the People’s Republic of China last February, during which she presented the Chinese people with a gift from Egypt. Two days earlier, Egypt had airlifted to China 10 tons of preventive medical utilities, as a token of support and goodwill. Mr Liqiang said China would never forget that act.
The Ambassador also expressed appreciation for the solidarity Egypt has displayed towards China by illuminating Egyptian monuments with the colours of the Chinese flag. He pledged China’s full support of Egypt, reminding that global challenges serve to deepen the bonds of cooperation and solidarity among nations.
Watani International
21 July 2020