Blinken, Japanese counterpart to galvanize international action in combatting COVID-19

Washington [US], July 19 : As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19's far-reaching impacts and the emergence of new variants, US State Secretary Antony Blinken will co-host the COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP) Foreign Ministerial Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in a virtual mode on Tuesday (local time).
The meeting will further galvanize international action, measure progress, and outline necessary steps to control COVID-19 and strengthen global health security.
"Secretary of State Antony J Blinken will co-host the virtual COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP) Foreign Ministerial Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, on July 19, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. ET," the State Department said in a statement.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritized Global Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement (GAP) was launched earlier this year. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus will also attend the virtual summit.
The participants will meet to maintain progress and drive the action along the six GAP lines of effort -- getting shots in arms, bolstering supply chain resilience, addressing information gaps, supporting health care workers, ensuring acute Non-Vaccine interventions and strengthening the global health security architecture.
There remains an urgent need for political and diplomatic engagement and coordination to accelerate progress to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen health security.
Moreover, the US-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of US security interests in Asia and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity.
The Alliance is based on shared vital interests and values, including, the maintenance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the preservation and promotion of political and economic freedoms; support for human rights and democratic institutions; and, the expansion of prosperity for the people of both countries and the international community as a whole.
US President Joe Biden in May announced that the US will share the critical Covid technologies through the World Health Organisation Covid-19 technologies access pool.
"Today I am announcing that the US will share critical Covid technologies through the World Health Organisation Covid-19 technological access pool. We are making available the health technology that is owned by the US government including stabilized spike protein, which was used in many Covid-19 vaccines," US President said while chairing the Global COVID Virtual Summit.
US President had said that USD 450 million seed funding for pandemic preparedness and global health security fund to be established this summer.
In the virtual summit, Biden said, "The US has provided more than USD19 billion to help countries fight Covid-19, life-saving medicines, oxygen, tests, equipment, supplies, and partnered with countries to improve their capacity to manufacture vaccines.