UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday he regrets that in the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global crisis the relations among the world's superpowers are dysfunctional and that it was not possible to establish a mechanism of strong leadership to fight the pandemic
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2020) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday he regrets that in the time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global crisis the relations among the world's superpowers are dysfunctional and that it was not possible to establish a mechanism of strong leadership to fight the pandemic.
"The relations between the major powers in the world today is very dysfunctional," Guterres told reporters. "It is unfortunate that it was not possible for the international community to find a mechanism of solid leadership in relation to the fight of the pandemic."
According to an earlier media communication of US President Donald Trump, Washington was considering various options of holding China accountable for the pandemic.
Guterres expressed his hope that the international cooperation between China and the United States, essential to fight the pandemic, will become possible in the future.
"These are two absolutely vital countries," the UN chief said. "The contribution of China and the United States to fight COVID-19... is, in my opinion, absolutely essential."
Guterres stressed that today, the world needs all current superpowers to combine efforts and reach a consensus on not only combating the COVID-19 threat but also addressing other peace and security challenges.
At the same time, developed countries should help to create conditions allowing for proper foreign support and recovery in developing nations, Guterres added.
The US is poised to determine where the coronavirus came from and according to Trump, one of the versions under consideration is that it was developed in a laboratory in Wuhan, the Chinese city in the Hubei province from where the first reports of an abnormal respiratory disease came last December. The US president has threatened China with consequences if it turns out that Beijing deliberately allowed the virus to exit the lab.
Earlier on Thursday, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in a statement said the intelligence community believes that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was neither man-made nor genetically modified.
China has so far consistently denied the accusations, stressing the transparency and responsibility of its policies throughout the outbreak.
