On the occasion of the First China-France High-Level Mechanism of Dialogue on People-to-People Exchanges, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed September 18th between the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Institut Pasteur, Fondation Mérieux and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Press release
Paris, September 24th, 2014
This Memorandum of Understanding aims to reinforce cooperation between France and China in the field of infectious disease prevention and control. The fight against highly pathogenic infectious agents, such as the Ebola virus, and scientific research in Biosafety Level 3 and level 4 laboratories were cited as key areas of Sino-French collaboration.
Mr. Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development and Mrs. Liu Yandong, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China in charge of Education, Culture, Sciences, Health, Tourism and Sports presided over the signing ceremony.
“For over a century, upholding the Pasteurian tradition, our family has engaged in the fight against infectious diseases,” declared Alain Mérieux, president of Fondation Mérieux. “The creation of the P4 Jean Mérieux - Inserm laboratory in Lyon and, today, our support for establishing a BSL4 laboratory in Wuhan exemplify the kind of international mobilization needed to wage the battle against emerging pathogens,” he added.
“The signature of this agreement is a milestone, opening new perspectives for Inserm, in line with our Institute’s long tradition of international cooperation,” stated Yves Levy, CEO of Inserm.
For Christian Bréchot, president of Institut Pasteur, “Institut Pasteur is not an inward-looking research center: the spirit of Louis Pasteur still drives our engagement in international collaborations, in the interest of improving health for all.”
The four partners are pleased to be able to expand and increase their contribution to public health worldwide through their collaboration.
