(VOVWORLD) - Response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a focal point of the high-level general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which began online on Tuesday.
 State leaders deliver their speeches at the general debate via pre-recorded videos. (Photo: Reuters) |
Leaders from the US, China, Russia, and France delivered speeches about their fight against the coronavirus, their vaccine development, and their approaches to other world issues. China and Russia urged the UN to promote its role in multilateralism, international cooperation, and the battle against COVID-19.
In his remarks, US President Donald Trump called on the UN to hold China accountable for the global spread of COVID-19. He blamed the Chinese government and the World Health Organization for falsely declaring that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
But a Chinese representative denounced Trump’s accusations as baseless. Later on, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to share China’s experience in coronavirus control and treatment and help developing countries produce a COVID-19 vaccine. China promised an international aid worth two billion USD in the next two years for agriculture, poverty reduction, education, protection of women and children, climate change mitigation, and economic recovery. Xi said China has no intention of fighting a cold or hot war with any country, and will resolve all disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation.
French President Emmanuel Macron slammed the US’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran, describing it as a failure. He clarified the priorities of France’s policies concerning issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.