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Updated March 11th, 2021 at 10:15 IST

Boris Johnson rejects EU's claim; says UK hasn't banned export of vaccines

The UK PM Boris Johnson has rejected claims from European Council President Charles Michel that the country has imposed an export ban on coronavirus vaccines.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
Boris Johnson
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The UK PM Boris Johnson has rejected claims from European Council President Charles Michel that the country has imposed an export ban on coronavirus vaccines. According to BBC, Johnson said that the government had “not blocked” any sales to other countries. While addressing the Prime Minister’s Question, the UK leader said that he was “proud” of the progress made and added that the nation has also donated £548m to the COVAX initiative, set up to distribute vaccine around the globe. 

“I, therefore, wish to correct the suggestion from the European Council President that the UK has blocked vaccine exports,” Boris Johnson said. He also added that the country has “not blacked” the export of a single COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine components. Further, Johnson said that he was against vaccine nationalism in all its forms and called on all countries to work together to tackle this pandemic. 

EU's UK delegation to hold talks ‘for clarification’ 

Johnson’s comments came after the senior EU figure claimed that the UK and the US have imposed an “outright” ban on the export of vaccines or vaccine components produced on their territory. Michel has said that his claim about the UK’s position was based on “facts”. However, the Foreign Office summed an EU official to explain what it called the president’s “incorrect assertions”. 

On Tuesday, UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also wrote to President of the European Council Charles Michel expressing angst over the bloc's completely “false claims”. Raab said in a letter: ‘I wanted to set the record straight. The UK government has not blocked the export of a single COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine components.’ Further, he added, ‘Any references to a UK export ban or any restrictions on vaccines are completely false. We are all facing this pandemic together,’ according to UK’s Foreign Office statement. 

EU and UK indulged in the fresh spat post Brexit over the COVID-19 vaccines after the EU president released a newsletter Tuesday, stating that the “EU was the driving force and leading donor in the international fundraising that enabled the financing of the research into vaccines.” He launched a scathing attack on the US and UK, saying that the two countries “imposed an outright ban on the export of vaccines or vaccine components produced on their territory.” He conjured controversy, adding that the “facts do not lie”. 

(Image: AP) 
 

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Published March 11th, 2021 at 08:57 IST

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