First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic talked on the phone with Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Minister commended activities undertaken by WHO in its endeavours to provide assistance to all countries affected by the COVID-19 virus global pandemic, as well as for the assistance the Organization extended to Serbia especially in the form of virus detection tests, which would be of great importance in preventing the growth of the number of people contracting the virus in our country.

Minister Dacic informed the Director-General about the current situation and activities carried out by the Serbian Government to protect its citizens.

He voiced concerns that the rise in the number of infected persons in the period ahead could cause a shortage of necessary medical equipment, virus detection tests and disinfectants and kindly requested from the WHO Director-General to provide necessary assistance to Serbia.

Director-General Ghebreyesus promised that the WHO would positively respond to our country's requests and supply the necessary assistance in line with the currently available resources. He stressed that the world today needed solidarity more than ever before, given that this was a problem affecting all and could only be overcome through joint action.

Minister Dacic and Director-General Ghebreyesus have forged a friendship years ago, when Mr. Ghebreyesus discharged duties of Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, agreeing to remain in constant contact so that Serbia, as well as other affected countries, with the help and support of the World Health Organization, could overcome this vicious disease as soon as possible.

After the conversation, the WHO Director-General went on Twitter to thank Minister Dacic for the call, stressing that the WHO would support Serbia in countering the coronavirus.

See the tweet by WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus here.