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Angela Merkel at a press conference after the G20 video summit: »Germany has rarely done anything.
But Germany cannot maintain the international alliance on its own either. "
Photo: Christian Thiel / imago images / Christian Thiel
The leading economic powers want to work together to ensure that affordable corona vaccines are distributed fairly around the world.
In the final declaration of their G20 summit, they also resolved to do everything possible to get the badly ailing global economy going again.
The fight against the corona pandemic was the main topic of the two-day video summit led by Saudi Arabia.
The virus has spread to almost every country in the world and killed nearly 1.4 million people worldwide.
It is expected, however, that the distribution of vaccines can begin by the turn of the year at the latest.
With its final declaration, the G20 countered fears that poor countries could be severely disadvantaged.
"We will spare no effort to ensure affordable and fair access for all people," it says.
Merkel worries about the lack of vaccine negotiations for poorer countries
The group also committed to providing funding for the international vaccine distribution initiative (Covax).
Germany is contributing more than half a billion euros, said Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But by the end of 2021 there is still a shortage of six billion US dollars (5.1 billion euros).
Merkel was ready to do even more, but also made other countries responsible: “Germany rarely did nothing.
But Germany cannot maintain the international alliance on its own either. "
She demanded that the international vaccine alliance Covax immediately start negotiations with corona vaccine providers.
"It worries me that there are no negotiations," said Merkel.
The EU and the US are already well advanced in securing vaccines for their populations.
But the G20 Covax initiative is not ready yet.
Fighting pandemics is key to economic recovery
In the final declaration, fighting the pandemic is named as the key to economic recovery.
Poor countries are given the prospect of further debt relief.
Next year it will be checked whether the economic and financial situation requires an extension of the repayment deferral that has been agreed until June 2021 by six months.
EU Council President Charles Michel proposed a global treaty to combat future pandemics.
International cooperation is to be firmly agreed upon with the involvement of all United Nations organizations in order to be able to react more quickly and in a more coordinated manner.
Merkel supported the proposal.
US President Donald Trump, who had determined the last G20 summit meeting with some bizarre appearances, showed only moderate interest in the video conference.
During the kick-off session, he tweeted election fraud allegations.
Then he left the event early and went golfing.
And also at the closing meeting on Sunday he was represented by an advisor.
On the subject of climate protection, Trump used his public video message to attack the Paris Agreement, from which the US under Trump was the only country to withdraw.
Scholz mocks Trump
Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz could not resist a point against Trump at the final press conference with Merkel.
"One participant also took the opportunity to describe his own greatness again," he said.
The SPD politician did not call Trump by name.
But everyone knew who was meant.
After Trump lost the election on November 3rd to the Democrat Joe Biden, he is to be replaced as US President on January 20th.
Biden has already announced that he wants to join the climate agreement again.
Merkel emphasized that the European Union wanted to make Biden an offer to revive the transatlantic partnership.
"The issue of climate protection will be very important."
On December 1st, Italy will take over the G20 presidency from Saudi Arabia.
The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the next summit for the end of October - then maybe physically again.
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mfh / Reuters / dpa