Politicizing COVID-19 origins tracing could derail int'l efforts: Lao foreign ministry

VIENTIANE, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Politicizing the origins of COVID-19 and the use of a non-scientific body to conduct origins tracing is counter-productive and could derail collective international efforts to end the pandemic, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday in a statement.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has closely followed the development of COVID-19 origins tracing in the international arena, the statement said, adding the country views the issue as "an important and complex scientific exercise that needs to be conducted based on scientific research and study."

The issue requires "global efforts and cooperation among relevant specialized international scientists in an inclusive, transparent and location-wide manner," it said.

"The Lao PDR strongly believes that only through a genuine multilateralism and international cooperation and pure scientific research we would be able to overcome the prevailing challenges," the statement said.

The Lao foreign ministry said in an earlier statement on July 26 that politicizing the origins of the coronavirus should be avoided, given that its scientific complexity requires objective, transparent, inclusive and purely scientific-based efforts.