VIENTIANE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said countries of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) will work together to tide over the difficult times amid an outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith at the conclusion of the fifth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting here on Thursday.

The ministerial meeting, which was held amid the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak, demonstrated the Lancang-Mekong cooperation of sincerity, mutual assistance and affinity, Wang said.

It also showed that the LMC countries are sharing their weal and woe, he added, believing that the LMC countries will work together to tide over the difficult times.

"We are confident that through concerted efforts we will win the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic and safeguard the health and safety of people along the Lancang-Mekong river," Wang said.

The LMC is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly established by Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, the river is called the Lancang River in China and the Mekong River when it flows through the other five countries before emptying into the sea.