It is scheduled for September 22 in a virtual format
Washington intends to invite Russia and China to an international pandemic summit expected to take place next week. It was reported on Monday, citing sources, by Axios portal.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to be among the invitees, it said. The portal notes that the US is urging India to resume overseas shipments of the coronavirus vaccine under the international COVAX mechanism Exports of the drug, developed by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), were halted in March due to the increasing spread of coronavirus within India. Some Axios sources claim that Washington plans to offer Modi a bigger role at the summit in exchange for resumption of vaccine supplies soon. For his part, a Washington administration official confirmed to Axios that the US is discussing vaccine exports with India, but rejected indications that the subject has anything to do with Modi’s participation in the summit.
According to Axios, the US administration intends at the summit to urge higher-income countries to donate surplus vaccines to nations in need rather than sell them.