The government of the Republic of Korea will donate humanitarian assistance worth of $ 500,000 to the government of Sri Lanka to combat COVID-19 cases in the country, Korean Ambassador Santhush Woonjin JEONG said.

With the aim of strengthening public health cooperation between the two countries, Korea will provide emergency medical items such as PCR test kits and PCR test machines.

As the government of the Republic of Korea recognises Sri Lanka as a key partner in South Asia, the Korean government will continue to closely cooperate with Sri Lanka to contain COVID-19.

Under the “Stay Strong” campaign between Korea and Sri Lanka initiated by the Korean embassy last year, Korea has stood with Sri Lanka in the hour of need to provide support to the public health system.

On December 8, 2020, PCR Test Kits worth of USD 300,000 were donated to Sri Lanka as a gesture of goodwill. Also, the Korean Embassy in Sri Lanka has provided re-usable fabric masks to the Sri Lanka Army and Police who have dedicated themselves to protect people in Sri Lanka including the Korean residents amid covid-19.

These re-usable masks were manufactured by a Sri Lankan social enterprise which empowers women. Furthermore, the Seoul Metropolitan Government provided Anti-COVID face masks to their sister-municipality Colombo Municipal Council deter COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

Ambassador JEONG is confident that Sri Lanka will show resilience and strength as in previous instances to overcome the threat of the virus.

The Ambassador assured his unwavering commitment to Sri Lanka as a true friend for the benefit of the peoples in both countries. “I firmly believe that Sri Lanka can use the pandemic as a stepping stone to make a wider leap. Our public health cooperation in these tough times is symbolic of the true friendship between our two countries. The Korean government wishes to extend its fullest support and cooperation in coordinating the response to the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The battle against COVID-19 should not be fought by countries single-handedly as the virus spread has transcended all borders and nations. A united global effort is required to create a robust response to defeat the pandemic. It is a mandate for all humankind to cooperate globally to overcome this unprecedented challenge. The Republic Korea stands in solidarity and friendship with Sri Lanka to control the spread of COVID-19, he stressed.