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SINGAPORE: Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told her G20 counterparts on Thursday (September 3) that therapeutics and vaccines should be “a global good for all,” said the Foreign Ministry (MFA ) in a press release.
Dr. Balakrishnan spoke at an extraordinary virtual meeting of G20 foreign ministers, attended in his capacity as Singapore’s coordinator of the Global Governance Group (3G) and at the invitation of his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan attends an extraordinary virtual meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers on September 3, 2020 (Photo: Facebook / Vivian Balakrishnan).
Dr. Balakrishnan stressed the need to keep global supply chains open, especially for essential products such as medical supplies, MFA said.
“He also emphasized the importance of accelerating the ongoing digital transformation of societies, as the last nine months have underscored how critical this is. He stressed that the digital divide must be closed so that no one is left behind,” the ministry added.
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The Foreign Ministers present exchanged points of view on the experiences and lessons learned from their countries to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation across borders to mitigate the impact of the measures taken. The meeting also addressed the need to prepare for a gradual and safe reopening of the borders and work towards a recovery that is more resistant to future shocks. ” said MFA.
Dr Balakrishnan also said Singapore will work with the G20 and relevant organizations to “explore the gradual resumption of safe cross-border travel through extensive testing and rigorous monitoring of contracts,” the ministry added.
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