UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supported the appeal of the head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky to politicians in the EU, the U.S. and parliamentary organizations about the need to lift unilateral sanctions against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.
The appeal said that in the face of the global epidemic threat, it was time to stop thinking in the containment paradigm, which put ordinary people on the brink of survival.
"I fully share your views on the need for international cooperation to combat some aspects of this global challenge," the letter reads. Guterres urged UN Member States, including the Russian Federation, "to support each other in the fight against the biggest health crisis of our time, including through financing the Global humanitarian response plan launched in March 2020."
The UN Secretary-General also recalled that in his address to the G20 leaders on March 26, he called for refraining from sanctions that could undermine the ability of states to respond effectively to pandemic challenges.
"And I reiterated my call during the subsequent briefing with member countries on March 27. I intend to continue to take an active part in solving these issues in public and private terms," Guterres emphasized.
Slutsky in his message addressed "all sensible politicians" in the leadership of the EU, the U.S., Great Britain, leading international, interparliamentary and public organizations with an appeal to abandon destructive sanctions policy.
