MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th August, 2020) Paris and Berlin have left negotiations on reforming the World Health Organization (WHO) in protest to Washington attempting to lead the talks despite withdrawing from the global health body, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources.
In early July, the United States formally notified the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of its withdrawal from WHO effective July 6, 2021� � Washington have been accusing the organization of favoring Beijing and mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the negotiations on the health body's reform started four months ago, and G7 member-states have held approximately 20 videoconferences and several diplomat-level meetings on the matter, according to Reuters.
"Nobody wants to be dragged into a reform process and getting an outline for it from a country which itself just left the WHO," a senior European official, who is engaged in the WHO reform talks, told Reuters.
The German and French health ministries have confirmed to Reuters that they oppose Washington's leading role in the negotiations due to the US' withdrawal from the health body.
US President Donald Trump reportedly hopes to reach consensus on the WHO reform on the G7 summit, but it is not yet clear if the meeting, scheduled for September, will go ahead as planned.
