German chancellor pushes for truly global immunisation, warns on Ukraine situation

Calling for greater international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said the world may run out of Greek alphabet letters for new variants of the virus without a truly global immunisation campaign.

In a special address at the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, he also cautioned that borders in Europe must not be moved by force and it was impossible to stay silent after years of rising tensions around Ukraine's border with Russia.

There has been a growing apprehension in some quarters as Russia preparing to invade Ukraine as it has reportedly stationed nearly 1,00,000 troops near the border with the neighbouring country.

In his first speech at a global forum since becoming Chancellor in December after 16 years of his predecessor Angela Merkel being at the helm, Scholz said there is a clear commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity though it is not yet possible to say whether the situation on Russia-Ukraine border could be de-escalated with intensive diplomatic contacts.

''After years of growing tensions, silence is not a reasonable option... Strength of the law must be upheld, and not the law of the strongest,'' Scholz said.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, Scholz said it is important to have international cooperation and dialogue.

''Big advantage we have over the virus is we can cooperate, and we do,'' he said.

However, he warned that ''without a truly global immunisation campaign, we will soon run out of letters in the Greek alphabet for new variants of the virus''.

In his address, Scholz also outlined the magnitude of the task facing Germany to become net-zero.

''Change only works if it is by the people, for the people... We will no longer wait for the slowest and least ambitious,'' he said.

He called for a 'paradigm shift' in international climate policy.

The Federal Chancellor said if we want global progress, we must overcome the divisions that currently hamper us.

Scholz called for the 2020s to become a decade of new beginnings, focused on peace, health and decarbonisation.

In a wide-ranging speech that touched on the future of Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic and tackling climate change, Scholtz stressed the need for cooperation, working together and dialogue to overcome these shared challenges.

On Ukraine, he said, ''Germany will continue to work closely with transatlantic allies to guarantee peace.'' On the pandemic, he expressed optimism for the future.

''Humans can cooperate in ways the virus cannot. Scientists in Europe are learning and sharing with their counterparts in the US, South Africa and elsewhere,'' he said pointing to the collaborative success of the mRNA vaccine technology, which began in Germany and said the priority is now to work together to immunize the world.

Germany, he said, is doing its part. It is one of the founding members and the second-largest donor of the Country Coordinating Mechanism Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT Accelerator), with most of this support going to COVAX, the international vaccine platform.

Scholz also reiterated Germany's commitment to net-carbon neutrality ahead of 2050 but acknowledged that Europe cannot solve the climate crisis alone.

''To reach net neutral is a monumental task, but one we will achieve. We will use the presidency of the G7 to move forward the decarbonization agenda. We will no longer wait for the slowest and most resistant,'' he said.

Scholz said there are many opportunities, particularly in areas such as green hydrogen where emerging countries as producers can work symbiotically with industrial nations as consumers.

He said that this decade, the 2020s, will become a decade of new beginnings, but cautioned that progress is not an end in itself and that progress must address the concerns of all citizens.

''We need not just more progress but better progress,'' he said.

In order to restore trust, Scholz emphasised the need for social justice, saying we must not allow short-term technological innovation and growth to be decoupled from long-term societal progress.

Social justice and equal opportunity do not stand in the way of reforms – they are preconditions for the kind of transformation needed, he said.

On the future of Europe, he said ''our goal is a sovereign, strong Europe -- a Europe that lives according to its common values of peace, the rule of law and democracy''.

''Some will try to tell us dialogue and compromise are forms of weakness. Some will try and pitch climate action against prosperity. Some will argue that social progress hampers economic growth. Some will try and divide us. The truth is the progress we want will only occur if we overcome these divisions. Working together is the only way and restoring trust is our goal,'' he concluded.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)