SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov sent messages to heads of a number of diplomatic missions expressing support for the measures taken by their countries in countering the spread of the coronavirus infection and stressing the importance of joint efforts in the spirit of solidarity in the face of global challenges and threats. Ambassadors of Spain, Hungary, Italy, Tunisia, Romania, Belgium, Croatia and Japan to the People's Republic of China replied to the message.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to the People's Republic of China Rafael Dezcallar believes that the world is facing an unprecedented challenge. A joint response is needed under the circumstances. In his opinion, this requires the engagement of multilateral structures, including the SCO, for a prompt resolution of the problem. The Ambassador praised the May 2020 meeting of the SCO member states' foreign ministers and their joint statement. Holding such events and exchanging opinions and information is an essential precondition for combating the coronavirus, the Ambassador wrote.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Hungary to China Mate Pesti stated that today the need for close coordination is essential in order to fight the coronavirus pneumonia. According to him, focus should be given to interaction in multilateral formats, including the SCO. He reaffirmed Budapest's readiness to work with all interested parties to find an effective global response to the pandemic.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the People's Republic of China Luca Ferrari wrote that the spread of the disease in his country had declined over the past few weeks. However, the authorities have kept the restrictive measures in place in order to prevent a new outbreak. According to the Ambassador, Italy is interacting with many countries, including the SCO nations. He is confident that all countries in the world will face the current challenge in the spirit of close cooperation.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to the People's Republic of China Dario Mihelin expressed solidarity with the SCO countries, wished speedy recovery to those who have contracted the disease and praised the SCO member states' efforts in combating COVID-19.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tunisia to the People's Republic of China Dhia Khaled wrote that the current situation clearly showed the key significance of international cooperation in overcoming any global crisis. While hailing the effective steps taken by the SCO member states, he expressed the hope that humanity will shortly overcome the pandemic and will be able to use the situation to its advantage.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the People's Republic of China Basil Constantinescu noted that the COVID-19 outbreak created multiple challenges for the international community. As a member of the European Union, Romania highly values interaction with all interested parties.
According to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to the People's Republic of China Marc Vinck, neighbourly relations and mutual exchange of experience and knowledge have crucial importance today. He expressed the hope that after the end of the pandemic, countries will successfully return to the previous development level.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the People's Republic of China Yutaka Yokoi offered his deepest condolences to the families of coronavirus victims in the SCO member states. He called on the international community to act together to tackle the challenges created by the pandemic and expressed confidence that the situation will soon be taken under control and the virus will be defeated.