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Coronavirus pandemic

Central Asian states, Russia to go ahead with joint struggle against COVID-19

NUR-SULTAN, October 15. /TASS/. The Central Asian countries and Russia are going to continue the implementation of joint projects for the sake of strengthening the sanitary and epidemiological protection of their peoples amid the coronavirus pandemic, as follows from a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan following an online conference entitled Central Asia Plus Russia on Thursday.

"We are determined to continue the implementation of joint projects and exchanges of results of research into the prevention of and struggle against infectious disease, build up the laboratory potential and train specialists. The collective system of monitoring and prompt response to emergencies will continue to be developed," says the statement made public by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.

The foreign ministers stressed the coordinating role of the World Health Organization in preventing sanitary and epidemiological threats and stressed the need for improving international medical and sanitary rules with the aim of increasing the WHO’s potential.

"The possibility is being considered of increasing government-financed vacancies at Russian universities for students from partner states in the field of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population. Russia will continue to provide direct research, methodological and consultative assistance on such issues as the monitoring of COVID-19 rates and anti-epidemiological and therapeutic and preventive measures," the statement says.

The participating countries seek to build up research and industrial potential in the field of pharmaceutics and joint production of crucial medicines, vaccines and protective items.

"We will promote joint work to study the origins of COVID-19, forms of diseases caused by that infection and also develop therapeutic methods and preventive measures. Cooperation along these lines with the WHO will continue. We welcome mutual support by our countries for extending humanitarian assistance and promoting the repatriation of citizens from near and far abroad countries," the statement says.

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