Former Slovenian President Danilo Turk called for international cooperation to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic during a recent interview with China Media Group (CMG), criticizing "certain politicians" for blaming others for problems in their own countries. 

Blame-shifting is irresponsible and will not help to solve the problems, Turk stressed. 

As the outbreak spreads across the world, the international community should "unite all forces that have a correct understanding of the essence of the problems," he said. 

The effective anti-epidemic measures taken by China and the spirit of solidarity among the Chinese people have impressed the world, he added, praising China for its success in controlling the outbreak at home and assistance to many other countries.

However, "certain politicians continue to blame others for problems that have occurred under their rule, which is irresponsible and cannot solve any problem," Turk noted. 

He criticized the politicians for shifting the blame to the World Health Organization (WHO) and called for more funding to support the agency in the global fight against the coronavirus. 

U.S. President Donald Trump announced last month to suspend funding to the WHO over its allegedly poor handling of the pandemic. The move prompted worldwide condemnation. China reiterated its support for the WHO's leading role in fighting COVID-19.

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Turk, who was Slovenia's president from 2007 to 2012, also commented on the pandemic's impact on the world economy and public health system. He called for efforts to build a more balanced and sustainable development model and improve the public health system in countries around the world. 

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 3.7 million globally, with the death toll surpassing 260,000. 

(Cover: Outgoing Slovenian President Danilo Turk talks to the media in Ljubljana, Slovenia, December 2, 2012. /AP)