Washington, DC - As President Trump has said, the United States is working with our friends and partners around the world to coordinate our efforts on stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States values our cooperation with allies and partners in combatting the pandemic and in planning for our collective recovery.
In addition to the leadership of the President and Secretary of State with their G7, G20, and other counterparts, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun has led weekly coordination calls since March 19 with Canadian Deputy Minister Marta Morgan and Mexican Deputy Secretary Julian Ventura, as part of our close partnership as neighbors.
These calls have allowed the United States, Canada, and Mexico to discuss challenges and share best practices in responding to the unique and complex challenges presented by the global pandemic and planning for safely re-opening our economies and commerce. Through collaboration among North American partners, we have:
- Enabled tens of thousands of citizens of our respective countries to return home from around the world to their families and loved ones, even as borders have closed and commercial flights options have in many cases disappeared;
- Facilitated the maintenance of critical supplies of vital protective equipment and medical supplies to strengthen our respective public health systems’ abilities to respond to and combat the pandemic;
- Ensured foreign citizens employed in essential economic sectors in our respective countries have been able to continue working under clear sanitary guidelines;
- Identified opportunities in multilateral meetings and fora to respond to and address challenges the pandemic has posed, including the G7 and G20;
- Exchanged views on the unprecedented challenges posed to diplomatic work by the pandemic, and;
- Shared best practices on how free and open societies can respond and combat the pandemic while continuing to uphold democratic principles.
As we begin to re-open our societies and restart the global economy, the United States and our North American partners will continue to collaborate on:
- Sharing best practices and lessons learned as our societies, business, and governments return to work;
- Mitigating the effects of border closures and diminished transportation links on global supply chains;
- Maintaining necessary aviation and transportation links to allow essential movement of people and cargo;
- Efforts to develop vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics and once developed, make them available, accessible, and affordable to all;
- Strengthen the ability of multilateral institutions and fora to respond to the pandemic and future crises;
- Actions to bolster North American competitiveness, and reenergize global growth and economic prosperity;
The United States and our North American partners welcome coordination with partners and international organizations who share our common objectives and principles and are capable of contributing to our efforts to foster global peace, security, and prosperity.