Minister Retno Continues Encouraging Affordable Vaccines for Developing Countries

Jakarta, MINA – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the main target of Indonesia’s diplomacy during the pandemic situation is to encourage international cooperation to realize affordable Covid-19 vaccines and medicines for developing countries.

The Foreign Minister said according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) currently, more than 120 vaccines are being developed worldwide and six of them are in the process of clinical trials.

“When the vaccine has finished clinical trials, the next question is whether all countries have access to vaccines and drugs at affordable prices,” Retno told reporters in a video conference on Wednesday, April 29.

According to Retno, the question is very relevant given the existence of an international patent regime that can be used to monopolize technology against innovation, the results of which will be needed by all human beings in the world.

To that end, Indonesia will continue to encourage the use of all the flexibility available in the international patent regime (WTO and WIPO) and explore other innovative steps to overcome these challenges.

“Messages like this that I consistently bring include last night at the Ministerial Coordination Group meeting on COVID-19 (MCG) in which around 11 Foreign Ministers participated, including Canada, Germany, France, UK, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa , Brazil, Turkey and Peru, “said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

In the MCGC meeting Retno stressed again, multilateralism should not only be interpreted in the form of statements, but also needed concrete follow-up and cooperation.

“Multilateralism will only gain trust if
the benefits can be felt for the world, “said the Foreign Minister. (L / RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)