AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Western countries, namely the United States, have strongly rejected a proposal on the exemption of humanitarian supplies from sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a video conference with the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund’s delegates.
Russia’s top diplomat emphasized that illegal unilateral sanctions amid the pandemic deal a heavy blow to citizens in a range of states, first of all Iran, Syria and North Korea.
According to Lavrov, these countries cannot purchase equipment, medicines and special protection gear because "the Western states, first of all the US, have strongly rejected a proposal on declaring a humanitarian pause and exempting the supplies of goods needed to combat the pandemic from any sanctions."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier called on the G20 to lift sanctions against other countries in order to effectively combat the coronavirus spread. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also backed the idea of cancelling or suspending sanctions amid the pandemic.
Coronavirus has posed a serious challenge to all countries, and under such circumstances the policy of hegemony and dominance is particularly inappropriate, Sergey Lavrov stated. "The coronavirus infection, which has become a serious challenge for all states and many international organizations, of course should encourage us to reflect on what is going on in the world and reflect on how we should live further to ensure a peaceful, safe and stable future for all of humanity," Lavrov said.
According to Russia’s top diplomat, it has long become clear that humanity lives in an interdependent and interconnected world, and the pandemic has exposed that.
"This being so, collective approaches to international relations are essential. The concepts and practices of hegemony and dominance are totally inappropriate in the 21st century," Lavrov stressed.
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source : Tass
Tuesday
21 April 2020
2:07:36 PM
1028342
The Western countries, namely the United States, have strongly rejected a proposal on the exemption of humanitarian supplies from sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a video conference with the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund’s delegates.