International cooperation on vaccines, medicines answer to Covid-19 challenge: Jaishankar at G20 meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Prasad spoke at the G20 Summit held with the Foreign Ministers on Tuesday and iterated that international cooperation is the answer to the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

He also said that institutional multilateralism is been determined to be needed, and reforms will have several forms, however, the immediate test will be vaccine equity.

Jaishankar said the real economy requires decentralized globalization, which covers manufacturing, health, food, and resilient supply chains must develop altogether. He said there was a rising need for increased international cooperation to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.

In a tweet, Jaishankar said, “Addressed in G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting at Matera, Italy today. My key messages: Whether it is vaccines, medicines, PPE, or oxygen, international cooperation is the answer to the Covid-19 challenge. Need more, not less.”

He further added, “Institutionalism multilateralism has been found wanting. Reforms have many forms but vaccine equity will be the immediate test. The real economy needs decentralized globalization, including in manufacturing, food, and health. Resilient supply chains must develop in parallel.”

G20 is an inter-governmental forum having 19 countries and the European Union, where currently Italy holds the Presidency.

(with agency inputs)

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