ABU DHABI — Foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Iran have reviewed efforts of the two countries to contain the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, UAE's state news agency WAM reported. In a video call on Sunday, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif also exchanged greetings for Eid Al-Adha. During their talks, Sheikh Abdullah and Zarif noted the importance of supporting global efforts to develop a vaccine for the virus. Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the importance of enhancing international cooperation, solidarity and synergy between all countries to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, stressing the UAE's unwavering stance in solidarity with various countries of the world in facing this pandemic. The talks were held at a time when the pandemic seems to be receding in the UAE with a steady drop in new cases and a spike in recoveries while it has assumed alarming proportions in neighboring Iran. Tehran on Sunday reported its highest single-day infection count in nearly a month as most of its provinces have been hit by a resurgence of coronavirus. A total of 2,685 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Iran to 309,437, according to the country's health ministry Another 208 people also died during the same period, bringing the overall coronavirus death toll to 17,190.
