TIRANA – Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) called for a regional solidarity in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“As the further spread of the COVID-19 represents a global threat, as a majority of modern threats and challenges, it is important to join the forces in solving the current situation for good not only of the nation-states but the regions and the whole world”, reads the press statement.
According to RYCO, the health crisis we are witnessing at the moment should be and stay only a health crisis. The governments and individuals should not allow the spill-over and start of new crises on political, societal and/or economic levels.
“The upcoming period will be a test of solidarity and trust – trust in people, trust in science and trust in the best in humanity”, the organisation stated.
“We need each individual to get infected not by the virurs but by the willingness to help the fellow citizens and neighbours. We need people to believe in each other and follow the agreed measures on the national but also the global scale. Although people will be separated for a period, we should not forget that human beings are social beings. No one will resolve the crisis on her/his own, governments included. We should use this opportunity to come together in ways we never have before”, reads the press release.
RYCO called upon the Western Balkan governments to acknowledge the fact that the COVID-19 spread is not a national but a regional and global warning and as such it requires well-coordinated responses, at least on the regional level.
Having in mind the above-mentioned, RYCO stated that it will keep fighting for having the regional cooperation spirit alive. It strongly believes that regional cooperation, especially among the young people and the governments is the answer for solving many challenges we are facing in the region, including the current one.
“RYCO will continue supporting regional youth cooperation despite the new circumstances. Until the situation allows us to organize physical youth exchanges in the Western Balkans again, we will find out new ways to promote and work on our mission in the region”, the statement reads.
RYCO also invited the Western Balkan youth to use this period to learn more about each other and the cultures in the region. New ways of communication are allowing us to easily access the knowledge and use it for creating something good.