Addis Ababa, June 19, 2020 (FBC) – The Minister of the Foreign Affairs, Gedu Andargachew called for solidarity between Africa and China to overcome the socio-economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and chart out a better way forward.
The Minister made the remarks participating in the High-Level Video Conference on Belt and Road International Cooperation held yesterday under the theme, “Belt and Road International Cooperation: Combating COVID-19 with Solidarity”.
He appreciated China for successfully curbing the spread of the virus and thanked the Chinese government and the private sector, including Jack Ma Foundation, for their unyielding support to Ethiopia’s fight against the scourge.
Noting how the pandemic slammed developing countries, Gedu expressed his hope that the conference would create opportunities for concerted efforts in containing, mitigating and defeating the global threat.
The Minister further called on the Chinese government to continue to support Ethiopia to help it sustain the hard-won economic gains, accelerate the ongoing reforms, and withstand economic shocks in the post-COVID-19 period.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, chaired the meeting and WHO Director-General, Tewodros Adhanom, senior officials from the United Nations, foreign ministers and ministerial-level officials from several countries attended the conference.
Before the meeting, the Chinese government briefed the media that the conference would bolster multilateralism, boost international cooperation against COVID-19, and advance high-quality BRI cooperation.