01/03/2021 (Agence Europe) – A delivery of 504,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine arrived on Monday 1 March in Côte d’Ivoire, the second country in Africa, after Ghana, to benefit from the Covax initiative (see EUROPE 12666/2, 12666/6). “The EU is committed to providing equitable access to vaccines worldwide”, stressed the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, on his Twitter account, commenting on a video promoting the event. The Ivorian Foreign Minister, Ally Coulibaly, adding that the vaccination could “start on Monday”, said: “We will be among the first vaccinated in Africa”. According to him, “it’s a good thing”. The EU ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Jobst von Kirchmann, recalled that “the EU is the largest donor to Covax”, since it provides “almost 40%” of the funds. Its collective contribution (EU/Member States, EIB) has recently been doubled to €100 million. (AN)