ISTANBUL

The presidents of Turkey and Tunisia discussed cooperation between their two countries against the novel coronavirus in a phone call Monday, according to an official statement. 

Turkey's Communications Directorate said Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Tunisian counterpart Kais Saied also discussed bilateral relations and regional issues.

The leaders also exchanged greetings for Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, it added.

Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The US, Russia, Brazil and several European countries are currently the hardest hit.

The pandemic has killed more than 344,000 people worldwide, with over 5.46 million confirmed cases, with recoveries numbering around 2.19 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.