"Azerbaijan is one of the world's leading countries in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, our state is taking necessary measures to protect its citizens' health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, systematic, preventive actions have been taken, along with the assurance of public health. Important programs and projects have been implemented to strengthen social protection," Javid Osmanov, a member of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), told Report.
According to him, Azerbaijan is one of the few countries that remain committed to universal values and take humanitarian initiatives during the pandemic:
"Thus, our country has made a significant contribution to international efforts in struggling the pandemic. Azerbaijan has provided humanitarian and financial assistance to more than 30 countries. In addition, Azerbaijan has donated 150,000 doses of vaccine to four countries. At the Non-Aligned Movement's (NAM) COVID-19 Contact Group Summit in May 2020, President Ilham Aliyev proposed holding a special session of the UN General Assembly on pandemics on behalf of the NAM, a motion that was supported by more than 150 countries. In December, a special session of the UN General Assembly on the fight against COVID-19 was held in New York."
He said that the fight against vaccine nationalism and the deepening inequality between rich and poor countries in access to vaccines have been on the agenda of President Ilham Aliyev, chairman of the NAM: "I reminded that on behalf of the NAM, Azerbaijan put forward a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council to ensure equal and universal access to vaccines for all countries, and the document was adopted unanimously in March this year."
Osmanov stressed that yesterday, within the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, the Third Committee of the Assembly adopted a resolution on 'Ensuring equitable, affordable, timely & universal access for all countries to vaccines in response to the COVID-19" "Ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines at an affordable price, in a timely manner and universally.'
"I want to emphasize that 171 countries voted in favor of the resolution, no government has opposed this important document. This is yet another proof that that the international community supports the global struggle and initiatives of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev against the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine nationalism and gives importance to our country's international objectives."