Foreign Desk Report
BRUSSELS: A global fundraising meeting on Saturday raised 6.15 billion euros ($6.9 billion) from the United States, the European Commission and numerous countries to fight COVID-19, with many participants stressing that an eventual vaccine should be available to anyone who needs it.
The pledging summit, part of a joint initiative by the EU executive and advocacy group Global Citizen, also included a globally televised and streamed fundraising concert featuring Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Usher and others. The Commission together with the European Investment Bank pledged 4.9 billion euros ($5.50 billion), US $545 million, Germany 383 million euros, Canada C$300 million ($219 million) and Qatar $10 million.
