Upon addressing a virtual ministerial meeting among the parties, Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra highlighted the exchanges held since the deadly pneumonia broke out, on the best practices to prevent and treat it.
The deputy minister rejected the politically motivated campaigns, stigmatization, xenophobia and discrimination against China, emphasizing that they failed in their objective of discrediting their achievements in the control and recovery of the health adversity.
Sierra pointed out that fighting the pandemic is an additional challenge for the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, while they are facing problems of food insecurity, the worst economic growth in more than 50 years, an unpayable external debt and unilateral and illegal coercive measures.
The official called to strengthen national health systems, prioritize universal access to quality medical services, overcome political differences and strengthen unity.
Regarding Cuba, Sierra mentioned the progressive control over Covid-19 and the assistance to other nations globally, despite the tightening of the US economic, financial and commercial blockade, plus a failed defamatory campaign against the medical collaboration.
The virtual meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard. Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Ecuador also participated.
According to an official note, the meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint communique about the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and China presented a plan to strengthen cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean in different spheres.
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