UK’s Johnson speaks with Mohammed bin Salman on phone call

The two leaders discussed the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Boris Johnson on the phone on Tuesday. Courtesy Saudi Press Agency
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the phone on Tuesday afternoon after the Kingdom hosted the Group of 20 virtual summit at the weekend.

In a statement, a Downing Street representative said Mr Johnson congratulated Saudi Arabia for hosting the summit and for the “productive meetings” it brought about on the global recovery from the pandemic and tackling climate change.

“They discussed recent positive progress on the vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca and the importance of ensuring global access to coronavirus vaccines,” the representative added.

A large clinical trial found that the vaccine is 70 per cent effective, and it could be up to 90 per cent effective under certain conditions, AstraZeneca said.

“The Prime Minister noted Saudi Arabia’s economic and social progress under its Vision 2030 strategy, and they addressed the issue of women’s rights and further developments needed in that area," the representative continued.

“He extended an invite to attend the COP26 Summit in Glasgow next year, and they spoke about the huge potential for green technology and ambitious climate action in Saudi Arabia.

“They closed by agreeing to explore new opportunities for co-operation in trade, culture and defence, building on the existing strong partnership between our two countries.”

At the G20 summit, Mr Johnson urged the 19 other leaders to take more ambitious action to defeat the pandemic and address climate change. He welcomed the recent Net Zero carbon commitments from a number of G20 countries and called on others to make the same pledge.

Prince Mohammed reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to battling climate change and land degradation, and to energy, environment and the Riyadh Initiative on the Future of the World Trade Organisation to provide necessary support for its reforms.

The G20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Turkey, the UK, the EU and the US.

Officials from international organisations including the IMF and the World Bank attended the two-day summit alongside regional bodies such as the Arab Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank and the African Union.

The UAE, as the chair of the six-member GCC, also attended.