Government Requests Infectious Disease Innovation Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Korean Companies to Participate in Vaccine Production

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy requested the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an international health organization, to expand the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines and increase the participation of Korean companies.

According to the Ministry on the 15th, Yeohangu, the head of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters, will meet with Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. CEPI is an organization launched in 2017 for the purpose of pre-developing and stockpiling vaccines to prepare for potential epidemic risks.

CEO Hatchett expressed gratitude for the Korean government's active support for CEPI and the efforts of the government and companies to expand the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines. He then introduced the 'CEPI 2.0 Strategy,' which focuses on improving vaccine accessibility and promoting vaccine research and development, and stated that he would communicate closely with the Korean government, medical institutions, research institutes, and companies to achieve the goals.

Head Yeohangu said, "We highly appreciate CEPI's efforts to quickly end the COVID-19 pandemic crisis through global solidarity and cooperation, and we will actively cooperate going forward." He added, "With CEPI's support, domestic companies' vaccine development and contract manufacturing are progressing smoothly, and we ask that various opportunities be provided for domestic companies to participate in the CEPI 2.0 Strategy."

Furthermore, Head Yeohangu emphasized that he would promote various trade support measures to expand global vaccine production and supply, such as tariff reductions on vaccine raw materials and components, expedited customs clearance, and discovery of cooperative projects, utilizing the free trade agreement (FTA) network with 57 countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.