EU Vaccine

Collected EU Ambassador to Dhaka Rensje Teerink

EU to provide 1 crore coronavirus vaccine doses to Bangladesh

The EU Ambassador said, “We have promised to provide one crore doses of vaccine for Bangladesh. But we know it's not enough."

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen expressed displeasure over the vaccine accumulation of the developed countries, which were then discarded due to expiration of the vaccine, causing an outrage in many developing and under-developed countries. "Developed countries are throwing away all the vaccines they can't use," he said. "What kind of ethical and moral value ​​is it?"

Referring to the Foreign Minister's remarks, Teerink outlined various aspects of the EU's support for COVAX. "The European Union is one of the driving forces working to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic," he said. "This year we will provide 200 million doses of vaccine assistance worldwide. The EU and its member states have already announced 16 billion Euros in aid to fight the pandemic. Therefore, it would not be right to underestimate our steps in cooperation with developing countries."

The EU ambassador said the European body was the second largest donor to COVAX with a contribution of 2.4 billion Euros. Besides, there is a promise of 16 billion Euros. He said the money would be spent on testing, treating and managing coronavirus samples.

On the EU's strategic plans for India and the Pacific, Teerink said the EU expects Bangladesh to play a more active role in the Bay of Bengal. It is possible to increase the activities of Bangladesh and the EU by increasing Bangladesh's strategic participation not only in this region, but in the entire Indian Ocean region. The Indian Ocean region is home to about 60 percent of the world's population. And about 60 percent of the world's GDP comes from this region.