Statement following the joint call of Finance Ministers regarding the COVID-19 pandemic

August 5, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Finance Canada

Today, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau issued the following statement:

“Today, I hosted a call with my counterparts from the “Five Eyes” nations – Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States – to discuss the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significant policy response to the crisis, and the safe gradual restart of the global economy. This call was the third of a series of regular calls among Finance Ministers of the “Five Eyes” countries.

“The Finance Ministers and I discussed the importance of working together to support the resilience of global supply chains from which we all benefit. These supply chains help to ensure we are able to access necessary products that are critical to our own domestic needs, and position our economies to be innovative and competitive.

“Having resilient supply chains is important for economic recovery and long-term prosperity, and we discussed ways to further cooperate on supply-chain challenges faced by countries around the globe and specifically to deepen our own relationships among the “Five Eyes” as strategic partners.

“In response to this unprecedented health, social, and economic crisis, many governments across the globe took immediate actions to protect their citizens and the economy. These measures are paying off, and efforts are underway to safely and gradually reopen the economies around the world.

“We have agreed to remain in regular contact as a group and will continue to work together to ensure a successful and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”