BEIJING - China will provide the first batch of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal on a grant basis, reported by Business Standard on Feb 6.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Wang said, China and Nepal have helped each other, strived to work together to defeat the virus, and carried out sound cooperation in the anti-virus fight.

Gyawali, for his part, said that Nepal and China are all-weather friends.

The Nepali government and people are grateful for China's timely and valuable vaccine aid, and stand ready to continue to deepen anti-epidemic cooperation with China, he said.

Nepal is ready to work with China to well implement the important consensuses reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen cooperation in various fields and push for further development of bilateral relations, Gyawali added.