Egypt’s Ambassador to Canada Ahmed Abu Zeid has reviewed his country’s experience of dealing with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the annual John Molson College of International Business conference at Concordia University.
The conference, opened by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was held virtually. It was devoted to discussing the experiences of several countries in dealing with the repercussions of the global health crisis, as well as the pandemic’s impact on diplomacy and international economic relations.
In his speech, Abu Zeid reviewed various aspects of the Egyptian experience in comprehensively dealing with the crisis, starting with developing and implementing an integrated plan. This dealt with the economic, social and health repercussions of the pandemic.
Also part of the plan was the implementation of precautionary measures to curb the virus’ spread, undertaken with the participation of the concerned state agencies. It specifically gave priority to revitalising and advancing the health sector.
It also made efforts, on the regional and international levels, to ensure that the voice and demands of African and developing countries were heard. It sought to ensure that these countries’ rights to equal access of medical and economic support were preserved to deal with the pandemic.
During the conference, Abu Zeid highlighted the specificity of the Egyptian experience in achieving a balance between applying necessary precautionary measures and maintaining economic activity to the extent that prevents any multiplied effects of the pandemic on the life of Egyptians. This has strengthened the country’s ability to achieve positive growth rates over the past year.
Egypt’s continued economic growth, despite the effects of the pandemic, have been widely praised by international rating agencies and the World Bank, particularly as it is unique to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The Ambassador was keen on answering participants’ questions regarding the lessons learned from this global crisis. He explained that COVID-19 has proven to be much greater than a mere health crisis, and that it necessitated a rearrangement of national and international priorities.
It was also essential to give priority to the sectors of health care and social protection. This revealed a clear discrepancy in the abilities of each country to deal with the pandemic, which called for joint international responsibility.
This collaboration would support the capabilities of the least developed countries, the fair distribution of the vaccine, and the exchange of experiences and best practices between countries.
