The European Union Social Summit opened on the 7th in the northern Portuguese city of Porto. This is the first face-to-face meeting of EU leaders this year.
Some leaders called on the United States and others to export more new crown vaccines to curb the global epidemic.
Leaders of the European Council, European Parliament, European Commission and 24 member states attended the two-day summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Malta Prime Minister Robert Abella attended the online meeting. .
Participants on the scene wear masks and use elbow or fist instead of handshake or face ceremony.
This summit focused on how to make up for the economic losses caused by the new crown epidemic to the EU.
The meeting will focus on the three topics of employment, vocational training and poverty reduction.
EU leaders will also discuss the issue of intellectual property exemptions for the new crown vaccine to help the world speed up the end of the epidemic.
In addition, EU leaders are scheduled to hold a video conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 8th.
The two sides were originally scheduled to hold the EU-India face-to-face summit in Porto. Modi cancelled his itinerary due to the severe epidemic in India.
European Commission President Ursula von der Lein said at the meeting: "It is still in the early stages of recovery (from the epidemic). Under the negative impact of the epidemic, our life is still difficult."
At a press conference that day, Von Delane called on all those who are discussing the intellectual property exemption of the new crown vaccine to "commit to export a considerable part of the vaccine produced in this region."
She said that only by increasing vaccine production, removing export barriers and sharing vaccines that have been ordered can the rapid fight against the epidemic be helped.
According to the Associated Press, in response to the US previously announced support for the temporary exemption of intellectual property protection related to the new crown vaccine, some leaders at the meeting believed that the current abandonment of patents is not a key issue, and measures such as increasing vaccine production capacity and allocating raw materials are more effective in curbing the epidemic.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on the 7th that the work of the United States in vaccine exports is more important.
"100% of the vaccines currently produced in the United States are supplied to the US market." (Liu Xi) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)