Putin Proposes Joint East Asian Leaders' Statement to Combat COVID-19

"Close Cooperation and Interaction Needed to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic"

▲Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a joint statement by East Asian leaders to combat the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), according to TASS news agency.

According to the report, President Putin stated on the 14th (local time) at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) held via video conference, "Russia proposes a joint statement by the leaders participating in the East Asia Summit to combat COVID-19."

He added, "I expect the leaders to support this proposal," and "I hope the statement will be adopted today."

President Putin emphasized, "Close cooperation and interaction are necessary to confront the COVID-19 pandemic."

Currently, Russia's cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 1,903,253, ranking fifth in the world after the United States, India, Brazil, and France.

Russia was the first in the world to develop and register the 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 vaccine; however, unlike the usual development process, this vaccine was approved based only on Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial results, skipping the Phase 3 trial, raising concerns about its efficacy and safety.

Meanwhile, the East Asia Summit was launched in 2005 with 16 member countries including the 10 ASEAN countries, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and India. In 2011, the United States and Russia joined, bringing the total number of participating countries to 18.