SDLP leader Colum Eastwood
The Foyle MP is a member of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Leadership.
He joined EU Commissioners and Party Leaders including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Greek Opposition Leader Alexis Tsipras, UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy and others on Thursday to discuss the global response.
Said Mr Eastwood: “The COVID-19 crisis is a global emergency and requires a multinational response.
“I spoke with PES European Commission members, heads of state and opposition leaders from across Europe today about the need for solidarity and coordinated action across our continent to manage the emergency.
“In particular, I raised the need for mass testing and contact tracing programmes across Europe to identify new outbreaks and track the progression of the virus.
“Ireland’s more dispersed population makes this process easier but it must be an imperative across the continent.
“I also expressed solidarity from Ireland to our brothers and sisters across Europe who have been so terribly impacted by this outbreak.
“This is a time for solidarity and coordinated action.
“I’ll continue to pursue that where possible with our European colleagues.”
