Spain to give 1.7 billion euros in coronavirus aid to developing countries

FILE PHOTO: Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya arrives to attend the first cabinet meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will send 1.7 billion euros (1.5 billion pounds) in aid to developing countries to help them deal with coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting.

Spain aims to help save lives and strengthen public health systems and also protect and restore rights and capacities, among other goals, Gonzalez Laya told a news conference.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Inti Landauro; Editing by Ingrid Melander)