President Moon Meets AZ CEO to Request Cooperation on Vaccine Supply

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] President Moon Jae-in, attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit, met with Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, to discuss cooperation on vaccine supply and production for the second half of the year.

On the 13th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) held a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Office, announcing that President Moon attended the G7 summit held in Cornwall, UK, from the 12th (local time) as an invited guest country, and took the opportunity of his visit to the UK to hold a meeting with CEO Soriot.

During the meeting, President Moon requested cooperation to ensure smooth vaccine supply from AstraZeneca in the second half of the year. CEO Soriot responded by considering South Korea as a top priority partner and expressed his desire to make every effort and maintain a long-term production cooperation relationship with SK Bioscience.

This marked the first time in 12 years that a South Korean president attended the G7 summit. At the summit, President Moon proposed international infectious disease cooperation measures, including establishing South Korea as a vaccine hub based on its technological capabilities, and pledged to increase South Korea’s contribution to the advance purchase of the COVAX Facility fivefold.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "The government will achieve stable domestic vaccine supply and domestic vaccine development through cooperation with the international community," adding, "We will do our best to contribute to overcoming COVID-19 worldwide through vaccine production."