Iohannis: Equitable access to vaccines, therapies and diagnoses, best way to guarantee security

President Klaus Iohannis emphasized on Wednesday, at the Global Summit on the topic of coordinating the international response in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of solidarity, stating that the best way to guarantee security is equitable access to life-saving vaccines, as well as therapies and diagnoses.

"I thank President Biden for the initiative to coordinate the international response to the most important current threat - the novel coronavirus. In order to come out on top in this fight it's extremely important to think and to plan globally. Solidarity is a global imperative. I believe the best way to guarantee our safety is equitable access to life-saving vaccines, as well as therapies and diagnoses.

He shoed that Romania is hosting rescEU - a strategic mechanism for medical reserves and distribution of the European Union, as part of international efforts to combat the pandemic. Furthermore, the head of state recalled that Romania has helped other countries in their efforts to manage the devastating effects of the pandemic, by sending medical teams to Italy, the Republic of Moldova and Tunisia, but also the United States of America, emphasizing the Romanian contribution in May 20202, with medical staff and experts deployed to the US state of Alabama.

President Iohannis recalled the fact that Romania already donated COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Egypt, Tunisia and Vietnam.

"Romania is committed and is involved in the support of the ambitious agenda for the consolidation of the security architecture of the world, in view of constructing a global system which is resilient and more adequate to manage unforeseen crises, as this pandemic," the head of state concluded.

President Iohannis participated in the Global Summit upon the invitation of the US President, Joe Biden, who organized the event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The head of states is leading, from Tuesday to Thursday, the Romanian delegation at the high level segment of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations, which is taking place in New York. AGERPRES