US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated inequality in the world, and international cooperation and universal access to vaccines are called upon to cope with the consequences of the crisis.
“The COVID-19 crisis has worsened economic inequality around the world, and the G20 can help. We need to deliver more vaccine doses to more countries”, – Blinken said during a speech at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Matera.
According to him, the United States is supporting the sending of vaccines to poor countries through the COVAX mechanism, allocating $2 billion for its funding. The head of American diplomacy stressed that the elimination of the global health crisis is the primary goal of the international community.
“Multilateralism is our best tool for addressing the global challenges we face, be it the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis or sustaining economic recovery”, – said the US Secretary of State.
Participants at the G20 meeting in Matera, Italy on Tuesday discuss aid to Africa, humanitarian issues and recovery from the pandemic. The event will be attended by 32 delegations. Ministers from Australia, China and Brazil will be in touch with their colleagues via video. The Russian delegation is headed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin. Italian G20 presidency based on the principle of Persons, Planet, Prosperity.