Cypriot president commends China for fight against COVID-19

NICOSIA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday commended the Chinese government for its prompt action in implementing comprehensive prevention and control measures to fight against COVID-19.

In a video interview with Xinhua, Anastasiades said that "China has indeed shown tremendous resilience" in the fight against COVID-19, and China is not alone in this fight.

Anastasiades also extended on behalf of the Cypriot government and people their deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those affected.

"I wish once again to express our full support for the government and the friendly people of China. We stand in solidarity with them," Anastasiades said.

The president also said that the international community, including the Republic of Cyprus, highly appreciated China's openness and transparency in sharing information with other countries and relevant international special agencies such as the World Health organization.

He added that the government of Cyprus is in close contact with Chinese authorities and the Chinese embassy since the start of the outbreak, receiving regular updates on the effectiveness of the measures taken by China.

"Despite our joint efforts, much remain to be done in preventing the spread of the coronavirus," he said. "We stand ready to enhance our cooperation with China in responding responsibly to the potential threat of the virus."

Anastasiades said the situation has caused great concern in Cyprus, but he called on people not to panic and to show calm and caution.

"We encourage all citizens to follow the instructions of the medical and public health services and take all the necessary measures to prevent infections," he said.

Cyprus hasn't reported any confirmed case of COVID-19, though over 40 people have been tested and proved negative. The health authorities have been braced for any potential cases.