Portugal donates 400 140 BioNTech–Pfizer vaccines to Armenia within the framework of the Team Europe Initiative coordinated by Poland
22.03.2022
On March 21th the symbolic vaccine handover ceremony took place at the “Reference” laboratory of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health of Armenia. The ceremony was attended by the EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, Chargé d'affaires of the Polish Embassy in Armenia Krzysztof Bartczak, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia Lena Manushyan and director of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control Artavazd Vanyan.
As part of the European Commission's Team Europe Initiative, with Poland's coordinating role in provision of vaccine aid from the EU Member States to the Eastern Partnership countries, Portugal delivered to Armenia the first shipment of 200,070 doses of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 from the planned 400 140 doses. The delivery of identical second batch of Portuguese vaccines is planned to take place in the first half of April.
This donation is an expression of EU’s solidarity with the Eastern Partnership countries in the battle against pandemic. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has coordinated this donation. Especially now - over 3 weeks after Russia’s invasion to Ukraine the Eastern Partnership gains in importance to its most member countries. For all of those countries the Eastern Partnership standards are signposts for the future.
The Portuguese donation to Armenia represents the first EU Member State’s vaccine donation to an Eastern Partnership country under this initiative. The upcoming donations are already in the process of preparation. This donation is the response of the Team Europe to Armenia’s reported demand for vaccines.
The fight against COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences remains one of the major global challenges. This fight requires solidarity and joint efforts, especially in regions of the world where vaccination rates are unsatisfactory. A key component of global efforts to overcome the COVID-19 is providing an equal and fair access to vaccination.
For Poland, the Eastern Partnership is one of the key regional dimensions, the role of which gained in importance after February 24, 2022.
Team Europe’s actions raise and increase people’s awareness in most Eastern Partnership countries that one can count and rely on the EU.
Team Europe initiative's motto is: We Are Stronger Together.
#StrongerTogether
