TEHRAN – Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Friday that his country will follow the COVID-19 situation in Iran and will cooperate to prevent coronovirus epidemic.

“China will maintain close communication, coordination and cooperation with Iran to defeat the epidemic as soon as possible and safeguard the health of our two peoples and global public health security,” the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Geng as saying in a press conference on Friday.

He added, “In this fight against the virus, China and Iran have been standing firmly together. The Iranian government and people provided China with valuable support and help, and Foreign Minister Zarif was the first foreign minister who publicly voiced support for China.”

Iran confirmed four persons diagnosed with the coronavirus outbreak have died.

In a message published by Tasnim news agency on Friday, China’s Ambassador to Tehran Chang Hua said, “China closely follows the COVID-19 situation in Iran.  The spokesman of Foreign Affairs Ministry of China has expressed condolences over the passing of the Iranian patients.”

“As Ambassador of China to Iran, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Iranian government and people. In this fight against the virus, China and Iran have been standing firmly together,” he said.

He noted, “Since the outbreak of China, the Iranian government and people have provided precious support and assistance to China at the first time. We remember and cherish this friendship.”

The new virus emerged in China in December. Since then, more than 70,000 people have been infected globally, with more than 2,000 deaths being reported, mostly in China.

He also said that the epidemic in Iran has also affected the hearts of the Chinese people.

“China will maintain close communication and coordination with Iran, strengthen cooperation in epidemic prevention, and strive to overcome the epidemic as soon as possible, to safeguard the health of our two peoples and global public health security,” he said.

NA/PA