BRICS countries reiterate call for vaccine sharing

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - The BRICS group of five emerging economies on Tuesday reiterated the need for sharing of vaccine doses, transfer of technology and promotion of price transparency to combat COVID-19 pandemic.

A joint statement issued after the virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of BRICS, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, called for "exercise of due restraint in the implementation of measures that could hinder the flow of vaccines, health products and essential inputs”.

“The ministers reaffirmed the need to use all relevant measures during the pandemic, including supporting ongoing consideration in WTO [World Trade Organization] on a COVID-19 vaccine Intellectual Property Rights waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS agreement and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health,” said the statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Tuesday’s meeting was held under the chairmanship of India, which holds the rotating presidency for 2021.

They also reiterated “the need for … development of local production capacities and supply chains for medical products.”

On international peace and security, the statement said foreign ministers called for continued efforts to “strengthen the system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements.”

It stressed further “the need to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency as well as the consensus-based nature of the relevant multilateral instruments in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.”

Earlier on Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs in a separate statement said the ministers exchanged views on “furthering intra-BRICS cooperation on the three pillars of political and security, economic and finance, and people to people and cultural exchanges.”