January 30, 2020 - 11:46 AMT
Armenia considers evacuating citizens from China

Citizens of Armenia may be evacuated from China in the wake of a new coronavirus which has killed more than 130 people in the country, while close to 6,000 have been infected.

Deputy Armenian Foreign Minister Avet Adonts discussed the matter with Tian Erlong, the ambassador of China to Yerevan, on Wednesday, January 29.

He said the Armenian Embassy in Beijing is in touch with some 400 Armenian citizens in China, including the seven people in the province of Hubei.

Adonts said the Armenian embassy also takes measures to address challenges Armenian citizens are facing as much as possible.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said the Ministry and the embassy in China have been in constant contact with the Chinese government and other partner countries concerning the evacuation of the citizens of Armenia.

Ambassador Tian stressed the readiness of the Chinese side to continue close cooperation with Armenia to resolve issues stemming from the spread of the coronavirus.

The Chinese city of Wuhan in the province of Hubei is the epicenter of the outbreak.

But the virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally, including Thailand, France, the United States and Australia.

While there is no specific cure or vaccine, a number of people have recovered after treatment.