Coronavirus Pandemic: China, Iran and SIX Other Countries Facing US Sanctions Push UN For Relief

Xi’s speech at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit via video link in Beijing on Thursday, stressed on cutting tariffs, removing barriers, and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade.

DESPARDES — China and Iran lead a group of (eight) countries in a joint push for the UN to pressure Washington to lift sanctions, which they say are hindering the global fight against COVID-19 coronavirus.

“We urge you to request the complete and immediate lifting of such illegal, coercive and arbitrary measures of economic pressure (…) in order to ensure the full, effective and efficient response of all members of the international community to the coronavirus,” they say in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reported AFP.

The letter does not specifically mention Washington but all eight signatories currently face US sanctions. The signatories say they want to “reject the politicization of such a pandemic.”

In addition to Iran and China, two of the countries most affected by the coronavirus include Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, Nicaragua, Cuba and Syria.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday delivered a speech titled “Working Together to Defeat the COVID-19 Outbreak” at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit via video link in Beijing.

The speech stressed on cutting tariffs, removing barriers, and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade.

“I want to call on all G20 members to take collective actions – cutting tariffs, removing barriers, and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade. Together, we can send a strong signal and restore confidence for global economic recovery. The G20 needs to draw up an action plan…”, Xi said.