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President upbeat about COVID-19 situation in Azerbaijan [UPDATE]

26 April 2022 11:48 (UTC+04:00)
President upbeat about COVID-19 situation in Azerbaijan [UPDATE]

President Ilham Aliyev has described as very positive the situation with COVID-19 in Azerbaijan.

He made the remarks while receiving World Health Organization Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri Kluge.

“The situation with COVID-19 in Azerbaijan was very positive, and as a result of the measures taken, the situation was kept under control during the difficult period of the pandemic,” he said.

Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to start vaccination in early 2021. He added that more than 13 million vaccines have been used in the country to date.

“The vaccination process in Azerbaijan has been met with understanding. It was an example of citizens’ confidence in the policy pursued by the state,” he said.

He noted that pandemic restrictions were gradually being lifted in the country and that only a few restrictions remained, and that the Azerbaijani public understood this.

Pointing out fruitful WHO-Azerbaijan cooperation, the president thanked the WHO for its continued support for Azerbaijan in the fight against COVID-19. He noted that the WHO recommendations on combating coronavirus were valuable for the country.

Aliyev highlighted that Azerbaijan had always supported the WHO’s measures to fight COVID-19. He recalled that he had stressed the WHO role in combating COVID-19 in his speeches at both the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the UN General Assembly.

“The government had taken necessary measures to eliminate the socioeconomic implications caused by the pandemic in Azerbaijan and now the situation in this area is stable,” he said.

In turn, Hans Henri Kluge noted that this is his first visit to Azerbaijan as the WHO Regional Director for Europe. He emphasized the significance of this visit, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's partnership with the United Nations.

“I appreciate your global leadership in international diplomacy and congratulate you on this occasion. Your crucial work for sustainable development is of great importance. Because thanks to your personal leadership, international solidarity against the COVID-19 pandemic has been promoted, and this issue has become a major issue on the agenda of the world's largest international organization after the UN - NAM,” he said.

The official described the extension of Azerbaijan's NAM chairmanship for one year as an indicator of confidence in the head of state and congratulated him on this occasion.

He described cooperation with Azerbaijan as very successful, adding that WHO would make every effort to continue this cooperation.

Pointing to the online summit of the NAM Contact Group on combating coronavirus in May 2020, which was held at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev as chairman of the NAM, he praised the WHO's role during the summit. In addition, he thanked Azerbaijan for creating a database on medical needs and for providing $10 million through the WHO to 10 countries worst affected by COVID-19.

Hans Henri Kluge recalled that the UN General Assembly’s special session on combating COVID-19 has been initiated by Ilham Aliyev. He also added that the president has also initiated a resolution on fair and equal distribution of vaccines within the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. In addition, he noted that Azerbaijan also included the fight against coronavirus on the agenda of the Turkic Council.

Praising measures taken by Azerbaijan against COVID-19 at the national level, he noted that the situation with coronavirus in the country was always under control and that the government had been taking the necessary and consistent measures. He praised Azerbaijan's vaccination policy as very successful.

Moreover, the official said that the WHO intended to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan.

The WHO official noted that the organization was ready to contribute extensively to the ongoing reforms in Azerbaijan's healthcare system. He lauded the measures taken to establish digital and e-health systems in the country.

Hans Henri Kluge underlined that the WHO was ready to contribute to the process of building a healthcare system in the liberated territories of Karabakh and East Zangazur, especially in the digital healthcare system, and work closely with Azerbaijan in that direction.

He stressed that Azerbaijan could become one of the regional centers providing health services in cooperation with the WHO.

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