G20 Foreign Ministers Call for Coordinated Reopening of Borders to Boost Economic Recovery
MOSCOW, September 3- The foreign ministers of the world’s 20 largest economies have agreed during a meeting on Thursday to seek a reopening of borders following the coronavirus pandemic in a coordinated manner for the sake of stimulating the economic recovery. The meeting was hosted by Saudi Arabia in a format of video conferencing. “Reopening borders, in…
MOSCOW, September 3 (Sputnik) – The foreign ministers of the world’s 20 largest economies (G20) have agreed during a meeting on Thursday to seek a reopening of borders following the coronavirus pandemic in a coordinated manner for the sake of stimulating the economic recovery.
The meeting was hosted by Saudi Arabia in a format of video conferencing.
“During the meeting, foreign ministers acknowledged the importance of opening borders, uniting families, and promoting measures to allow the economy to thrive in light of the protective measures given by health organizations and national regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the press release read.
The ministers have agreed, according to the press release, that “coordinating precautionary measures on cross-border management” was instrumental for making the post-coronavirus reopening of borders safe for lives and livelihoods.
“Reopening borders, in accordance with all the protective measures and national regulations, will help our economies to thrive, people to prosper, and will of course bring hope for humanity to have faith in cooperating to overcome the pandemic,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said, as quoted in the press release.
Most countries closed their borders by the end of the year’s first quarter, when it was confirmed that the coronavirus infection crossed outside China, where it was originally detected last December, and was quickly spreading across the continents.
The lockdowns worldwide have had a severe impact on businesses and rendered many economies crumbling under the pressure of heavy unemployment and health care expenditures.
Some countries began reopening upon receiving a green light from their health authorities that the peak of the outbreak was passed. Most have imposed strict control mechanisms at the border, such as mandatory testing and quarantine.
