The current pandemic teaches us that cooperation is paramount to addressing this pandemic and the future pandemic
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia will draw attention to the crucial and urgent aspect of global vaccine distribution to address the COVID-19 pandemic, during the G20 forum to be hosted by the country, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi stated.

"The current pandemic teaches us that cooperation is paramount to addressing this pandemic and the future pandemic. We could not allow things to continue wherein just one country is safe from the pandemic because it has sufficient vaccine stocks," Lutfi remarked while attending the Trade, Investment, and Industry Working Group (TWIIG) virtual inaugural event in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The minister pressed to promptly address the current discrepancy in vaccine distribution between Europe -- which had amassed three times the vaccine stocks necessary for each resident -- and African countries.

This vaccine inequality was the reason behind a trade minister of an African country being unable to attend a World Trade Organization's ministerial meeting, as he had yet to receive his vaccine, he pointed out.

"This will make our common mission futile. The vaccines hoarded in Europe will be of no use if they are not distributed, and what happens right now is new COVID-19 variants are emerging because the pandemic is not properly addressed, particularly in the least developed continent of Africa," Lutfi remarked.

To address the issue, the trade minister pressed for global collaboration and cooperation to ensure equal vaccine availability across all countries.

Lutfi also highlighted another issue that a vaccine product manufactured by a non-partner of the national government would be less saleable, thereby undermining common mitigation efforts.

"There is a case where the vaccines are less saleable because it is not produced by the nation's partner. This will undermine our common mitigation efforts. We must learn from this mistake and must not repeat it in future," Lutfi stressed.


Translator: Sella PG, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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