MOSCOW, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The world should not treat the coronavirus pandemic as an arena for political confrontation, specifically in the context of emerging global threats, Russian State Duma House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Tuesday.
"The world is changing rapidly; new threats such as the coronavirus infection are emerging," the lower parliament official said during the opening ceremony of the sixth BRICS Parliamentary Forum.
"The interests of global stability require a timely response to these challenges. But instead, we see the pandemic becoming another sphere for political confrontation and unfair competition," Volodin added.
The official highlighted the significance for the international community to resist the tendency of confrontation and build relations based on mutual respect while rejecting double standards.
He noted that five years ago, within the framework of the Russian chairmanship, the BRICS heads of state focused on collaboration in the fight against infectious diseases.
Volodin praised the potential of the BRICS countries in this area, highlighting China and India as being among the main suppliers of pharmaceuticals in the global market. Enditem