Friday 18 June: Mexico and Paris have signed an agreement of cooperation to prevent pandemic emergencies by joining the PREZODE initiative launched by Emmanuel Macron, in January 2021 during the One Planet Summit. Mexico is then the first country to join this International Initiative.
The collaboration between both countries will increase their capacity to respond to future pandemics.
Mexican Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer, and the French Ambassador in Mexico, Jean-Pierre Asvazadourien, congratulate this cooperation that allowed the creation of an International Joint Laboratory called “El Dorado” composed of researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and from the French Institut of Development Research (IRD). This laboratory, based in Mérida, Mexico, aims to research, innovate and train on topics such as biodiversity, ecosystems, habitat modification, and risk of pathogens and diseases in Mexico and the region.
Mexican Government communique (Spanish): https://www.gob.mx/salud/prensa/254-mexico-primer-pais-en-firmar-con-francia-declaracion-internacional-para-prevenir-riesgo-de-enfermedades-zoonoticas-y-pandemias
French Press coverage in ‘Le Monde” (French):https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2021/06/19/mexico-et-paris-cooperent-pour-prevenir-les-risques-pandemiques_6084773_3244.html#xtor=AL-32280270-%5Bdefault%5D-%5Bios%5D