F.P Report
WASHINGTON: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State on Monday remarked that President Biden believes that U.S. Foreign Policy must include cooperating with other countries and working through multilateral institutions whenever we can.
He further commented that in this way we will solve global problems that are simply too big for any country including us to solve on our own. Our work at the UN is a vital component, maybe the central component, of that strategy, he added.
While commenting on the emerging challenges, he said the United Nations to be a place where countries coordinate a global response to crises like COVID-19 and climate change, stand together to defend universal human rights, and uphold the rules-based order that maintains stability and security around the world.
American leadership at the UN helps make all these things happen, Blinken remarked. Commenting on the U.S foreign policy, he said that we’re trying to achieve at the highest levels of our foreign policy and national security.
Furthermore he remarked that New York has been one of the pandemic’s biggest hot spots. Many of you heard sirens all day every day for weeks. Many people also cheered out windows at 7 p.m. every night for front-line workers. Some of you got sick, had friends and family get sick. Some of you lost loved ones. Through it all, U.S Mission sustained critical operations of the mission, and most important, supported each other, he commented.
While addressing the U.S mission at UN, he stated that you been responsible for communicating official health information to the other 192 member states and several observer delegations.
U.S mission is still playing a key role connecting the UN to public health officials, and you’ve pushed to create a hybrid format for some of the UN’s biggest meetings this year, including the UNGA 75 high-level week last September.
Adding that U.S mission to U.S mission staff made sure that UN meetings wouldn’t become vectors to spread the virus.
There’s nothing more important to me and to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield than your safety and the safety of your families. Given your city’s experience with COVID-19, it was a priority to ensure that all USUN staff get access to vaccines, he added.
Commenting on the COVID-19 vaccine he said, this has been an exercise in challenge and frustration for some time. I was talking to colleagues from the outgoing administration, the State Department was initially expecting more than 300,000 vaccines back in December.
Secretary of State remarked that U.S got 13,000, and it’s been playing catch-up ever since. He further added that we’re working to provide vaccines to your colleagues around the world. About 80 percent of our vaccine allotment over these months has been pushed out to our missions overseas. Stopping this pandemic, protecting your health is my number-one priority, Blinken commented.
Incumbent administration taking real steps to bring career employees into the work of formulating policy and managing the work of the department, he said.
