Interstate cooperation in the healthcare sector: 
lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this article is to identify key trends in interstate healthcare cooperation, formed under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic, retrospective, comparative scientific methods and discourse analysis were used in this article to achieve its goal. The theoretical significance of the study lies in applying the tools of international political science research to the specific issue of relations between states and international organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the study, it was found that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed systemic weaknesses in interstate healthcare cooperation, which continue to persist after its completion. The main problems of modern interstate healthcare cooperation are the low level of trust between states, expressed in times of crisis in vaccine nationalism and viral sovereignty, and the limited effectiveness of international organizations and associations. Despite the declared readiness for joint coordinated actions at various levels, the national interests of States determined the limits of international healthcare cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend continues at the present time. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed the leading role of States as key actors in the healthcare sector. Regional integration associations such as the EU, the EAEU and BRICS have demonstrated the existing unrealized potential for deepening cooperation in the field of healthcare, but their effectiveness largely depends on the level of trust and coherence of the interests of the participating states.