The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs exchanged views on Monday 25 January on potential ideas and possibilities for sharing Covid-19 vaccines with low- and middle-income non-Member States, without a timetable having been set for doing so.
And for a very good reason. While the heads of state and government of the EU-27 emphasised on 20 January that “effective support should be delivered as soon as possible” to these non-Member States, the Member States are currently struggling to meet their own vaccine requirements.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, acknowledged this fact to the press at the end of the EU Foreign Affairs Council while calling for this commitment to be fulfilled.
“I am strongly convinced that a fair distribution of vaccines around the world is part of the solution, not only for reasons of global solidarity but also for reasons of our own health security. We will not be safe until everyone is safe”, he reiterated.
However, at this point in time, the sharing of vaccines is “for sure difficult due to the difficulties some Member States are facing with their own vaccination processes”, he said.
In his opinion, coronavirus is “a major worry for Member States”, but efforts will continue to try to look for a greater commitment towards non-Member States. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)