Presenting face masks to the Overseas Vietnamese Association in France. — VNA/VNS Photo Linh Hương

The Vietnamese Embassy in France on Thursday presented more than 15,000 face masks to French associations and local authorities.

The masks were sent to the Overseas Vietnamese Association, the Vietnamese Students’ Association, the France-Việt Nam Friendship Association, the France-Việt Nam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Groups in the French Senate and National Assembly, the Communist Party of France and the City Halls of Paris, Montreuil and Choisy le Roi.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Thiep said the French friends were touched by Vietnam’s gifts.

Leaders of l’Humanité newspaper expressed their gratitude over the first donation of Vietnam, saying that the donation would help bring the two nations closer.

Stéphanie Do, president of the France-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group thanked Vietnam for the timely support.

She pledged to distribute the face masks to elderly locals.

Vuong Huu Nhan, president of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in France, said face masks are scarce in France now. The association is looking for mask sources to distribute to old people or COVID-19 patients.

France is one of the Western European nations hardest hit by the disease. As of May 7, it had reported nearly 175,000 confirmed cases and almost 26,000 fatalities.

The country plans to lift social distancing measures on May 11 after eight weeks of national lockdown.