Trust, cooperation, collective mechanisms needed on int'l public health: think tanks

Trust, cooperation and collective mechanisms are needed in order to ensure global health security, Executive President of the Bucharest-based think tank EURISC Foundation Liviu Muresan told a virtual seminar on international cooperation of public health on Tuesday.

The virtual seminar, organized by Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and the EURISC Foundation, was an opportunity for the two think tanks who have been working closely for the last 20 years to exchange productive ideas and expertise regarding cooperation in the health sector, as well as the relations between China and the European countries, according to Muresan.

"It is important for think tanks to discuss and find potential developments to better understand what is going on, with the target of re-building trust -- among institutions and citizens, among institutions, among countries," said the Romanian security expert, reminding that SIIS has launched its report about health, while EURISC also published a White Paper of Health that is currently circulating around the world.

In his turn, SIIS President Chen Dongxiao stated that the pandemic increased the pace of transformations around the world, exposed the deficiencies of global public health and the shortages of cooperation in health, especially in vulnerable economies.

"SIIS has published reports on our understanding of international cooperation and will work as catalyst to facilitate international cooperation," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Romania Jiang Yu said China has been actively engaging in international cooperation against the epidemic, "providing assistance to more than 150 countries and international organizations, and striving to build a community of common health for mankind."

According to the ambassador, China and the European Union (EU) have supported each other and conducted comprehensive cooperation in the fight against COVID-19. She stressed that China and Europe should work together to advance a series of important cooperation agendas, contributing to safeguarding global public health security and promoting world economic recovery.

The Chinese ambassador also highlighted the significance of promoting joint efforts to address the challenges of the epidemic and promoting the development of China-EU and China-Romania relations in the "post-epidemic era".

Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, former Romanian ambassador to China, also welcomed the virtual seminar.

"We can look together for opportunities for further mutual understanding. The first step is to overcome challenges and to promote communication," said Isticioaia-Budura.