Lisbon, Feb. 3, 2021 (Lusa) - The Portuguese prime minister and the European Commission president have written to European leaders to get them to involve the industry to increase production capacity for Covid-19 vaccines and prepare against new strains of coronavirus.

"I wrote, with president Ursula von der Leyen, to the leaders of Member States to stress the importance of combining efforts and involving the industry to increase the production capacity and supply of vaccines in the European Union," António Costa said on Wednesday in his personal Twitter account.

In the same message, Costa said that he and Von de Leyen also warned European leaders that it is "essential to support Commission initiatives already underway" so that the Member States are "prepared for possible new strains of this virus and future public health risks".

On Tuesday, the Portuguese prime minister met with the CEO of the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and received assurances that the production capacity for Covid-19 vaccines would be expanded to meet the delivery schedule in the European Union.

At that meeting with Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's world CEO, the multinational "reiterated its commitment" to "reinforce its production capacity in Europe to meet the schedule for deliveries of vaccines to the European Union, according to António Costa.

"Every day of delay in the vaccination process is a day lost, and lives are at risk," Costa added.

He added that "AstraZeneca will supply the European Union with 9 million additional doses of its anti-Covid vaccine, a total of 40 million doses in the first quarter, a 30% increase over the company's previous proposal.

Costa added that he continues "to work together with the European Commission in what is another step in the long marathon for the protection of Europeans' lives and health.

PMF/ADB // ADB.

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