The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom have promised to find a “win-win” solution to the row over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The EU has piled pressure on British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to increase the supplies of the Oxford University vaccines as it is struggling to meet its member-countries requirements.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also been conducting one on one talks with his European counterparts and said cooperation was “even more important”, PTI reported.

Also read: India bans export of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as cases rise: Report

“We are all facing the same pandemic and the third wave makes cooperation between the EU and UK even more important. We have been discussing what more we can do to ensure a reciprocally beneficial relationship between the UK and EU on COVID-19,” a joint statement on Wednesday said.

“Given our interdependencies, we are working on specific steps we can take – in the short-, medium – and long term – to create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all our citizens. In the end, openness and global cooperation of all countries will be key to finally overcome this pandemic and ensure better preparation for meeting future challenges. We will continue our discussions,” the statement added.

During virtual talks on Thursday, the European Commission is expected to ask EU member-countries to support plans for added controls on vaccine exports.

Also read: Hong Kong, Macau suspend Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine over packaging flaw

Johnson told the House of Commons that he does not think blockades of “either vaccine or of medicines or ingredients for vaccines are sensible”.

“I would just gently say to anybody considering a blockade, or interruption of supply chains, that companies may look at such actions and draw conclusions about whether or not it is sensible to make future investments in countries where arbitrary blockades are imposed,” he said.

However, EU leaders are divided over proposals for new restrictions on vaccine exports out of the economic bloc, which would aim to boost supplies within the economic bloc. A site in Belgium produces the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and another in the Netherlands is expected to increase supplies of the jab in the EU.

Brussels has said that of the more than 40 million doses exported from the EU over the past two months, a quarter was sent to the UK and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “open roads should run in both directions”.

“The EU has an excellent portfolio of different vaccines and we have secured more than enough doses for the entire population. But we have to ensure timely and sufficient vaccine deliveries to EU citizens. Every day counts,” she said.