Egypt calls for providing access to technologies COVID-19 detection for African countries

CAIRO - 19 June 2020: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for providing access to new technologies for disease detection or developing a new vaccine and treatment to all states, particularly to African countries, at reasonable prices.

In his speech in the High-Level Video Conference on the Belt and Road International Cooperation: Combating COVID-19 with Solidarity, Shoukry also called for granting immediate and sustainable channels of finance and debt relief with favorable conditions, in a way that does not pose any additional burdens.

“This necessitates concerted joint action through effective partnerships between governments, international and regional financial institutions, and the private sector to ensure necessary and swift financial flows,” he said.

The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of intensifying international cooperation, including by achieving the target goals of the Belt and Road Initiative, to help promote economic recovery, and mitigate the multiple challenges of the coronavirus.

The Belt and Road Initiative was launched by the Chinese government to enhance trade, investments, and infrastructure in more than 150 countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The initiative is a revival to what was known as “The Silk Road.”