According to Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, the global spread of COVID-19 is proof of the importance of international cooperation.
“The coronavirus doesn’t care about state borders and international organisations must work together,” said the Foreign Minister. “We must learn from the situation, improve the resilience of the health systems of countries and take decisive steps to prevent pandemics in the future.”
The declaration emphasises the need to adhere to the global ceasefire and cooperate in order to cope with the economic consequences of the crisis, and the importance of preventing the spread of false information. It also highlights the need of states to cooperate in order to prevent the spread of such pandemics in the future. The foreign ministers emphasised that international cooperation must also continue in the movement of goods across state borders, especially food and medicinal products.
The countries that joined the declaration in addition to Estonia are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Singapore, Republic of South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
“Estonia can certainly contribute to the international resolution of the crisis with its digital skills,” the Foreign Minister said, concerning Estonia’s role in the resolution of the crisis in international cooperation. “The experience of our digital state is unique in the world and it has helped us keep most of our national systems working without a hitch. We must share this experience with other countries and help them catch up.”
While holding the Presidency of the UN Security Council in May, Estonia will give specific attention to the appeal of the UN Secretary-General to establish a global ceasefire so that countries can focus on beating the coronavirus epidemic.
“This crisis affects all walks of life and countries in the world,” Reinsalu said. “We must also make an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in conflict zones, where a health crisis triggered by COVID-19 could increase tensions and cause additional suffering to civilians.”
11 countries in conflict have responded positively to the appeal of the UN Secretary-General so far.
Read the joint declaration: https://tinyurl.com/y7evnj6p
