Any apportioning of blame could threaten international cooperation to confront the coronavirus pandemic, the EU's top diplomat said on Wednesday, reacting to Australia's bid for support for an inquiry into the origins of the outbreak.
"The priority has to be facing the pandemic, saving lives, containing this spread. We will only defeat the pandemic through global efforts and cooperation, and this cooperation cannot be jeopardised by blaming one or the other about the origins," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a video news conference.
Australia's push for an independent review of the originsand spread of the pandemic, including the response of the WorldHealth Organization (WHO), has drawn sharp criticism from China.
(Reporting by Robin Emmott, Editing by Franklin Paul)
