COVID-19: Turkey, int'l group vow ‘full solidarity’

By Tevfik Durul

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey and its four partners in a cross-national dialogue group on Thursday vowed to work in "full solidarity" to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce its impact on the world.

"We stand in full solidarity with each other and the international community as a whole in tackling this unprecedented global threat and building a more resilient future," read a statement by foreign ministers of the group of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, and Australia, whose initials make up the acronym for the group, MIKTA.

All five countries in the group, which was established in 2013, are G20 members recognized as middle power countries in international diplomacy.

"MIKTA members, together with other G20 countries, will employ all available policy tools to minimize the economic and social damage from the pandemic, restore global growth, maintain market stability, and strengthen resilience," read the statement.

"We will take into consideration the need to facilitate the movement of people and goods for humanitarian, scientific and essential business activities to the extent that each country’s disease control efforts may not be undermined."

The group recognized the need to "protect human lives and minimize impact on people's livelihood” and also “preventing any form of discrimination, racism, and xenophobia."

"We recognize that COVID-19 is a new disease that requires a collaborative response, including sharing of information and best practices between nations. We stand ready to share our respective experiences of addressing the pandemic in an open, transparent, and democratic manner … while also cooperating to further strengthen health systems in vulnerable countries," the statement added.

The MIKTA members expressed the hope that pandemic "will soon be brought under control” and expressed their commitment to work together to ensure “better preparedness for a future epidemic while swiftly responding to the current one."