Covid-19: 18 Foreign Ministers meet, agree to open transportation links

As part of diplomatic efforts to fight Covid-19 pandemic, foreign ministers from 13 countries have come together to device ways they could best emerge from the global crisis.

While disclosing this on Saturday April 18, 2020, in a statement, the ministers stated the necessity to addresse the need to keep transportation links and supply chain open.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and counterparts from Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Turkey and the United Kingdom participated in the sixth call of the Ministerial Coordination Group on COVID-19 to recapitulate the need to maintain global links amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The ministers are committed to working together to coordinate their countries’ public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and to ensure a strong recovery that puts people first,” a statement reads.

The ministers are also committed to addressing the challenges facing vulnerable countries with regards to their medical response in the nature of their health system, their access to medical supplies and protective equipment.

Similarly, the group emphasized the need to maintain maritime routes and air bridges in order to ensure transportation of essential goods and supplies.

The ministers also expressed strong concern on the need to work together in order to help citizens of member countries who are stranded in different countries return home.
“The ministers agreed to continue working closely with their respective domestic airports and airlines to ensure sufficient capacity to allow stranded travellers to return home,’ the statement adds.