KUALA LUMPUR – The Japanese government will provide AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Japan to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, its Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said today.
According to the Japanese embassy in Malaysia, the minister said the vaccines will be delivered from next month if circumstances allow.
“Based on the foreign minister’s announcement today, the embassy of Japan in Malaysia will continue to work closely with the government of Malaysia to provide the vaccine to Malaysians.
“This will be another symbol of friendship between Japan and Malaysia,” the embassy said in a statement.
The Japanese government had previously, among others, extended its assistance to Malaysia to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, including by providing medical equipment worth about US$5 million (RM20.5 million) in January.
Japan had also rendered humanitarian assistance worth about US$2 million to Malaysia through the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
For Asean, Japan had proposed the establishment of the Asean centre for public health emergencies and emerging diseases to protect people in the region from the threat of infectious diseases and provided financial support of US$50 million through the Japan-Asean Integration Fund (JAIF). – Bernama, June 15, 2021
