The message reads, in part:
“Welcome to the international drills for quick response teams, the first large-scale event of this kind held in Eurasia.
“It has become clear in the past years how relevant and necessary it is for sanitary and epidemiological services to be fully prepared to prevent the threat of dangerous infectious diseases. Obviously, international cooperation is essential for solving this problem successfully, as it has been confirmed by our experience in countering the coronavirus pandemic. It is necessary not only to agree on strategic approaches but also, and this is equally important, to hone practical cooperation in order to promptly detect and eliminate outbreaks that may cause a pandemic.
“It is important that these drills are an opportunity for specialists from twenty countries to share professional practices and test mobile labs and specialised equipment for various purposes as well as determine best algorithms for responding to sanitary and epidemiological emergencies.
“I am confident that the event with such extensive representation will contribute to strengthening international cooperation in this important field and the skills acquired during this exercise will help successfully protect public health in our countries.”