BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2020) The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created severe challenges for diplomats across the globe but it has also given a reason for international cooperation, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday at a Paris Peace Forum virtual session.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has made diplomacy much more difficult but it has also created a powerful reason for international cooperation," Maas said during the Alliance for Multilateralism's session at the forum.
The German foreign minister restated the results of the alliance's most recent meeting in September, which saw officials agree to ensure the fair and equal distribution of safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus disease.
Maas also said that the alliance had prepared concrete proposals to enhance the World Health Organization's (WHO) resilience, preparedness, and capacity.
Citing US President Donald Trump's clashes with the WHO, Maas said that he hoped the recent US presidential election, which saw Democratic candidate Joe Biden declared the winner by media outlets, would lead to a change in Washington's policy.
"After the US election last week, I'm hopeful that we can once again count on our American friends in this important endeavor," the foreign minister said.
Maas added that the alliance was seeking to apply the so-called one health approach, given that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown "how closely human, animal, and planetary health are linked."
Disinformation and misinformation concerning COVID-19 and vaccines against it also constitute a major threat, Maas said.
Maas gave his support to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, an initiative established by the WHO and partners such as the Gavi vaccine alliance, to ensure equitable access across the globe to diagnostics, treatment, and vaccines amid the pandemic.�
