Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn attended a video conference on the Belt and Road International Cooperation on fighting against Covid-19 on June 18.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn called on foreign ministers of 20 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries to find ways to create a favourable post-coronavirus economic environment.
Sokhonn’s call came at a June 18 video conference on the Belt and Road International Cooperation on fighting against Covid-19.
The meeting was chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and attended by Foreign Ministers from 26 countries who are partners in the cooperation initiative.
Sokhonn was quoted in the Foreign Ministry press release on Friday saying that “while the situation of Covid-19 is better in some countries, now is the time to start figuring out how to create a favourable economic environment once it is in the past”.
“Emerging markets and developing countries are important as both a supplier and a market. Ensuring a seamless connection will help all of us strengthen our economies,” he said.
Sokhonn also appealed to the other ministers to strengthen their capacity to tackle the public health crisis by sharing experience, technical expertise and joint research and development on drugs and vaccines.
He said Cambodia strongly believes in pluralism and as an active player in the framework of the BRI, it calls for deeper involvement of state and non-state actors to complement one another with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
“Without international cooperation and solidarity, we could not win the fight against the epidemic of this disease. Any politicisation of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic or a game of blame will only reduce international efforts,” he said.
Wang Yi was quoted by China’s Foreign Ministry website on Friday as saying that China is ready to work with international partners to use the BRI as a model of health-care cooperation.
“China will focus on supporting countries in fighting Covid-19 and resuming economic and social development, considering the needs of BRI partners in the development and application of vaccines.
“China will focus on discussing the establishment of fast-track lanes for cross-border flows of people and goods with BRI partners,” he said.
The Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute director Kin Phea told The Post on Sunday that Covid-19 has been a global catastrophe affecting almost every country.
“In particular, the socio-economic sector is seriously affected. What is needed for all countries is the means to recover the post-crisis economy,” he said.
The spirit of China’s BRI, he said, focuses on economic development and connectivity. All countries prioritise economic recovery using the means, mechanisms and methods.
“To do this work, cooperation between countries is important. The first important one is preventing and responding to the disease. The second is the long-term strategic planning of future epidemics.
“The third factor to consider is that it has to do with the global economy resuming and the recovery of each country after the crisis,” he stressed.
