UNITED NATIONS, September 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for strengthening the capability of the World Health Organization (WHO) and for removing barriers for partpership in the healthcare sector.
"As to healthcare, just like in economy, we now need to remove, as many as possible, obstacles to partner relations," said in a video address to the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "Our country has been actively contributing to global and regional counter-COVID-19 efforts, providing assistance to most affected states both bilaterally and within multilateral formats."
According to the Russian leader, Moscow respects the central coordinating role of the World Health Organization. "We believe it essential to qualitatively strengthen the WHO capability. This work has already begun, and Russia is genuinely motivated to engage in it," he said.
The Russian leader noted that during the coronavirus pandemic there were no borders for solidarity between doctors, volunteers and people of different countries and many "countries have also been helping each other selflessly and open-heartedly."
"However, there have been cases showing the deficit of humanity and, if you will, kindness n the relations at the official inter-State level," he said, adding that the prestige of the United Nations "could strengthen and enhance the role of the humanitarian or human component in multilateral and bilateral relations, namely in people-to-people and youth exchanges, cultural ties, social and educational programs, as well as cooperation in sports, science, technology, environment and health protection.".