KABUL — A handover ceremony of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has been held at the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Acting Minister of Public Health Wahid Majrooh, senior officials from the Afghan government, and Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu attended the event on June 12.

"Vaccine is a gift of life and we thank China for its help," President Ghani told audience at the handover ceremony.

Welcoming the expansion of Afghanistan-China relations in various fields, especially economic, trade and transit relations, the Afghan leader said the donation of medical supplies and vaccines of China would help Afghanistan defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Wang said China would provide more assistance to Afghanistan to help Afghans contain the pandemic.

The ambassador noted that as a friendly neighbor living in harmony, a close partner taking the same journey, and a good brother sharing weal and woe, China would continue to join hands with Afghanistan to fight the pandemic in solidarity and help Afghanistan in this regard to the best of its ability.

China would continue to support the Peace and Reconciliation Process in which the Afghan government and people play an important role and all parties participate widely.

The batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived in Kabul on June 10.