Dinesh, EU envoy discuss equitable vaccine access among other things

Sri Lanka, facing a shortfall of over 600,000 Oxford AstraZeneca doses for the second round of inoculation, is awaiting vaccine stocks through the Covax facility. So far, Sri Lanka has received 264,000 doses via Covax but the second delivery is yet to take place.

The WHO, in a statement issued on March 7 in the wake of the delivery of 264,000 doses to Sri Lanka, said that it was part of the first wave of arrivals that would continue in the coming weeks and months; culminating in 1,440,000 doses arriving through May. “The additional doses to cover 20% of Sri Lanka’s population will arrive in the second half of 2021. All these doses are donor-funded and provided at no cost to Sri Lanka,” the WHO said.

The European Union’s (EU) role in the Covax project was discussed when Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday (18) met EU Ambassador in Colombo Denis Chaibi. The following is the text of the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry yesterday: “Ambassadors of the EU based in Colombo called on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday 18 May 2021 at the Foreign Ministry, and discussed issues of mutual interest, including EU-Sri Lanka cooperation, and the GSP Plus process.

The Foreign Minister welcomed the multifaceted cooperation existing between Sri Lanka and the EU.  Follow up action on the EU – Sri Lanka Joint Commission Meeting held on 25 January 2021 was also discussed.

Among other issues discussed was the EU’s contribution towards the COVAX facility supporting global efforts to secure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by countries, including Sri Lanka, in the context of the national action plan to inoculate its adult population against the virus.

The Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka Denis Chaibi, the Ambassador of France Eric Lavertu, the Ambassador of Italy Rita Mannella, the Ambassador of the Netherlands Tanja Gonggrip, the Ambassador of Germany Holger Seubert, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Romania Victor Chiujdea participated in the meeting. The State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry were also present.”