COVID-19 pandemic exposed the world countries to new challenges, and the Government of Azerbaijan has taken necessary steps in countering pandemic from the beginning, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state made the remarks in a video format at the seventy-seventh session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Monday.

He said that in order to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the economy, support business and ensure macroeconomic and fiscal stability the solid socio-economic stimulus package has been released.

The president recalled that Azerbaijan has launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in January 2020, and close to 1, 4 million vaccine doses have already been used, which constitutes 14 % of the Azerbaijani total population.

“However, the efforts taken on the national level only are not enough to successfully eliminate pandemic,” the head of state said, stressing that Azerbaijan is on the forefront of the efforts to mobilize global action against pandemic.

“As a chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan initiated and successfully held the NAM Summit in response to coronavirus in May 2020. The Special Session of the UN General Assembly at the level of the heads of state and government was held on our initiative last December,” he added.

The Azerbaijani leader also expressed concern over “vaccine nationalism” and unfair distribution of vaccines among developing and developed countries.

The head of state pledged that Azerbaijan as a chair of the NAM and in its national capacity will continue its struggle for the just distribution of vaccines worldwide as well as access of developing and least developed countries to vaccines.

“Recently, the Human Rights Council unanimously adopted the resolution on equitable access for all countries to vaccines, put forward by Azerbaijan, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Azerbaijan provided humanitarian and financial assistance to more than 30 countries in relation to coronavirus, most of which are least developed countries,” President Aliyev added.

News.Az