Vietnam pledges long-term supply of rice to PH

May 30 ------ Vietnam has pledged to provide a long-term supply of rice to the Philippines “at competitive prices” even in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The commitment on a stable rice supply was relayed by Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to President Duterte in their phone conversation Tuesday evening (May 26) , according to the Palace. Apart from cooperation on food security, the two leaders agreed to forge stronger bilateral and regional cooperation in the fight against the pandemic.

“We assure you that Vietnam will continue to supply rice to the Philippines on a long-term basis at competitive prices,” the Prime Minister told the Philippine leader, based on the Palace press statement. The President expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese leader for the “kind” gesture of guaranteeing the long-term supply of rice to the Philippines.

“President Duterte stressed that Viet Nam, as the country’s top source of rice imports, is a vital partner in food security,” the Palace said. “According to President Duterte, partnership in ensuring strategic rice supply stability is one of the key aspects of Philippines-Viet Nam cooperation and ‘the Philippines thanks Viet Nam for its kind support in assuring supply of rice,'” it added. Early this month, Vietnam resumed its rice exports to the Philippines and other regional neighbors to help sustain their food supply amid the pandemic.

The Philippine usually buys most of its rice imports from Vietnam, and sought to boost its rice stocks amid the pandemic by contracting for 666,480 metric tons (MT) of rice from Vietnam this year. Of this rice contract, the country is waiting for the delivery of the balance of 448,180 MT. In the same phone conversation requested by Vietnam, President Duterte praised the country’s neighbor for its effective response to COVID-19. Duterte noted that the two countries could share best practices in battling the new coronavirus disease. Vietnam, a nation of 95 million people, is one of the countries with the lowest number of coronavirus cases. As of May 27, they have recorded 327 cases with zero casualties.

The Vietnamese leader likewise lauded the Philippine government’s comprehensive approach to COVID-19. “We appreciate the strong measures of the Philippines in fighting COVID-19, including preventing community transmission, implementing community quarantine measures and providing social protection to the Filipino people,” he said. The two leaders discussed cooperation to combat the coronavirus disease as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mechanisms to ensure critical medical supplies and equipment.

They recognized that it was importance to keep an “adequate supply of staple food and critical medical equipment and supplies to successfully combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Palace said. “The President also stressed to Prime Minister Phuc the need to implement key ASEAN initiatives to combat COVID-19, especially the ASEAN Response Fund and ASEAN Regional Reserve Medical Supplies,” the Palace said.

Source: mb.com.ph