Five middle powers affirm 'full solidarity' in tackling COVID-19

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and its four middle-power partners affirmed their commitment Thursday to working in "full solidarity" and mobilizing "all available policy tools" to tackle the new coronavirus and minimize damage from it, the foreign ministry said.

The foreign ministers from the group of South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia, known as MIKTA, an acronym of the countries' initials, issued a joint statement to call for robust global cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We stand in full solidarity with each other and the international community as a whole in tackling this unprecedented global threat and building a more resilient future," the statement reads.

"MIKTA members, together with other G20 countries, will employ all available policy tools to minimize the economic and social damage from the pandemic, restore global growth, maintain market stability and strengthen resilience," it added.

The ministers also pledged to coordinate responses to the pandemic in ways that avoid "unnecessary" interference with international traffic and trade, and consider the need to facilitate the movement of people and goods for humanitarian, scientific and essential business activities to the extent that each country's disease control efforts may not be undermined.

The pledge made it into the statement following Seoul's proposal, the ministry said in a press release.

In addition, the ministers noted that "openness, transparency and democracy" are key factors in bringing people on board with measures to protect them from the pandemic.

MIKTA was launched in 2013 as a platform for the five countries to enhance their coordinated contributions to the international community.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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