By Trend

Ensuring the flow of goods between members of Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council) will be a priority in the future, Head of Analysis at PRISM Political Risk Management Ltd Benjamin Godwin told Trend.

On Apr. 10, 2020, an extraordinary Summit of the Turkic Council was held through videoconferencing. The Summit focused on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Godwin said that in his opinion, the calling of a meeting of the Turkic Council was logical given the large trade in goods, particularly foodstuffs, between the member countries.

“Given how the coronavirus crisis has impacted travel and cross-border trade, ensuring the flow of goods between the members will be a priority,” he said.

Godwin said that Uzbekistan, for one, has been extremely active on the international stage. "The country made a number of proposals in the Turkic Council and has been instrumental in coordinating the actions of Central Asia leaders through regular phone contact. It has also sent supplies such as personal protective equipment to nations across the region and even further afield,” Godwin said.

The outbreak of the coronavirus began in the Chinese city of Wuhan (an international transport hub), at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has exceeded 138,000. Over 2 million people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 518,000 people have reportedly recovered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.