Danish Prime Minister Does Not Rule Out Establishing Vaccine Factory In Israel – NRK Urix – Foreign News & Documentaries

– This may mean that we are building vaccine factories in Israel. This is not an unrealistic scenario, the Danish prime minister said during a question and answer session in the Danish Parliament on Tuesday, reports Danish TV2.

The Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen and the Conservative Chancellor of Austria have joined forces to seek advice from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

– Vaccines from countries that cannot use them, either because they do not have time to implement them at the same rate as us, or for other reasons, we are happy to buy them, says Frederiksen to the Ritzau news agency.

– We will discuss how we can be more self-sufficient with vaccines, both in the short term to get more COVID-19 vaccines, and in the longer term, writes Frederiksen in a press release.

Israel has already vaccinated more than half the population with the first dose of vaccine. Of those over 60, 80 percent have also received a second dose.

Not relevant for Norway

Secretary of State Saliba Andreas Korkunc from the Ministry of Health and Care Services writes in an email to NTB that it is not relevant for Norway to introduce vaccines until they have been approved by the European and Norwegian pharmaceutical authorities.

– We have a strong understanding that many countries are eager to get more vaccines, he writes, but we still do not believe that EU cooperation on vaccines is cracking.

– According to the European pharmaceutical authorities, neither Russian nor Chinese manufacturers have requested approval, Korkunc points out.

– It will not depend solely on the EU

Chancellor Kurz says Denmark and Austria will no longer depend solely on the EU for vaccines. He points to problems with both deliveries and the slow process of approval of the vaccines, write several media outlets in Austria, including the Kurier newspaper.

During question time in Copenhagen, Frederiksen emphasized that this is not a violation of the EU:

– I do not consider this to be a violation of European cooperation. We do our best to be a part of it too, said the Danish Prime Minister.

But Frederiksen emphasizes that Israel has come a long way in its dialogue with vaccine maker Pfizer-Biontech.

– We know more about that dialogue when we come to Israel on Thursday, says Mette Frederiksen.

Concrete plans

According to the Financial Times, the establishment of vaccine production will be a key issue when the three heads of government meet later this week.

Israel, Austria and Denmark will already be in dialogue with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna to establish factories.

The Financial Times claims they have it from anonymous sources in the Austrian state administration.

It also says that the authorities in Austria already have concrete plans on where in Israel such production can take place.

In other EU countries, frustration is also growing because they are receiving too few vaccines through EU cooperation. Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary have imported Chinese and Russian vaccines. Poland has also asked China to send vaccines.

– It’s not just a sunny story

The Danish media also report on the skepticism of parties supporting the Social Democrats in the Folketing. They believe that Mette Frederiksen should criticize the lack of vaccines for the Palestinian West Bank.

This is what the representatives of the Radical Left, the Socialist People’s Party (SF) and the Unity List say to Jyllandsposten and Politiken.

– You must not adopt a humble tone towards Israelis. SF politician Karsten Hønge tells Politiken. He thinks it is obvious that Mette Frederiksen needs to speak to Netanyahu about discrimination against Palestinians.

– This is not just a story about the sun, says Hønge.