Nirmala Sitharaman to attend G-20 joint finance, health meet in Rome tomorrow

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the G-20 joint Finance and Health Ministers meeting in Rome on 29 October, which among other things will discuss COVID pandemic prevention and response. “Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman embarks on an official visit to attend #G20 Joint Finance & Health Ministers meeting in #Rome to discuss measures to strengthen #COVID19 #PandemicPrevention, #preparedness & #response. The meeting precedes #G20RomeSummit,” the Finance Ministry tweeted. Finance and health ministers will discuss how to keep momentum in response to the pandemic and build on further coordination arrangements between the ministries. On October 29, G20 Finance and Health Ministers will gather in Rome for their first joint meeting under the Italian G20 Presidency. The meeting will be co-chaired by Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Daniele Franco and Italian Minister of Health Roberto Speranza. The meeting will be held on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place in Rome on 30-31 October, 2021. Speaking at the 36th Annual G30 International Banking Seminar earlier this month, Sitharaman had highlighted the need of an international financial architecture to fight the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe and stressed on the need to keep the supply chains open for vaccine raw materials. The Minister also highlighted the need of an international financial architecture to fight the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe and supported the need of new financial instruments to focus and press forward green initiatives. India has suggested a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights under a WTO agreement on COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. Last week India, which has a population of over 130 crore, achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore mark. About 104 crore people have been vaccinated till Wednesday.