CHISINAU, April 20. /TASS/. Moldovan President Igor Dodon has thanked Russia for delivering medical aid from China to the country to combat the coronavirus.

"We will succeed in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic that has hit the world only if we help each other. I would like to thank the Russian leadership for responding to our request and providing an An-124 aircraft free of charge to deliver a shipment of medicines and equipment from our friends in China," Dodon said after meeting the aircraft in Chisinau.

According to the Moldovan president, the shipment contains coronavirus testing systems, protective equipment and medical supplies, part of which was sent by China as humanitarian aid and the other part was purchased by Moldova’s government and businessmen.

Dodon pointed out that Russia and China had earlier sent testing systems, medicines and medical equipment to Moldova.

A total of 2,472 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Moldova as of Sunday. As many as 67 patients have died of the infection and 457 have recovered. The country’s authorities declared a state of emergency until May 15.

Coronavirus pandemic

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.