MP calls for active diplomacy to bring AstraZeneca vaccines to Estonia
The head of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform) wants to bring unused vaccine doses to Estonia after several European counties suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Daily newspaper Eesti Päevaleht reported that Mihkelson's said, to his knowledge, Estonia's leaders have not yet spoken to states which have stopped using the vaccines. Ideally, these doses could now be rerouted to Estonia.
"But [asking] the question is justified not only because Denmark made the decision. Norway and Iceland also took a break. But we know that the European member states have turned to the U.S. to get a share of the 30 million doses in the stock because the U.S. has not yet given a license to the AstraZeneca vaccine," Mihkelson said.
The chairman of the committee added the minister of social affairs, minister of foreign affairs and diplomats should join forces while trying to exchanging doses with European states.
Mihkelson said acquiring the vaccines requires being active. "There should be movement, but effective diplomacy does not work through press releases but phone calls," he said.
Mihkelson promised the committee will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets this week and maybe with the representatives of the Health Board (Terviseamet) to talk about Estonia's plans for the near future.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino, Helen Wright