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FMs of 13 EU countries called for vaccines to be provided to Eastern Partnership countries by spring

06 January 2021 15:52 (UTC +04:00)

The EU should develop a simplified mechanism for access to Western vaccines against coronavirus for the states of the Eastern Partnership program (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine) as a "strong signal of support for partner states" for the summit of this program, scheduled for spring 2021, this is stated in a letter to the European Commission of the foreign ministers of 13 EU states, the text of which was read by a TASS correspondent on Wednesday, APA reports.

“We urge the European Commission to quickly develop a support mechanism similar to the one already launched to supply vaccines in the Western Balkans. By the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit (in the first half of 2021), we must send a strong and coordinated signal of the strategic importance of this program. Facilitated access to vaccines from coronavirus will become an important component of this signal. We are confident that these actions will be highly appreciated by the governments and civil societies of these states and will increase the geopolitical role of the European Union in the world," says the letter that signed by the foreign ministers of all Eastern European countries of the EU, as well as Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

"Providing simplified access to vaccines as soon as the EU countries receive the required number of doses is an important instrument of diplomatic influence today. We consider it necessary to use it as widely as possible," a diplomatic source said.