FS Harsh Shringla, US Envoy delibrate on ways to combat Covid and vaccine supply chain

Shringla's meeting with Charge D'Affaires Daniel B Smith comes days after Biden administration planned to make Covid vaccines available to India and several other countries.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla with US Charge D'Affaires Daniel B Smith, on 9 June 2021 | Twitter/@MEAIndia

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday held talks with US Charge D’Affaires Daniel B Smith focusing on ways to combat the coronavirus pandemic including supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said regional issues, and cooperation in the United Nations also figured in the “productive meeting”.

“Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla had a productive meeting today with US Acting Ambassador Daniel B. Smith @USAmbIndia about India-US relations, regional issues & cooperation in the UN; also discussed Covid19 situation, supply of vaccines & cooperation in combating the pandemic,” he tweeted.

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Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla had a productive meeting today with US Acting Ambassador Daniel B. Smith @USAmbIndia about India-US relations, regional issues & cooperation in the UN; also discussed Covid19 situation, supply of vaccines & cooperation in combating the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/UnxCz4xlZ8

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 9, 2021

The meeting came days after US Vice President Kamala Harris called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him about the Biden administration’s plans to make COVID-19 vaccines available to India and several other countries.

Following the phone conversation, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the two leaders discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the health supply chain between the US and India, including in the area of vaccine manufacturing.

Last week, President Joe Biden announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent – nearly 1.9 crore of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses – of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.

Recently, the Charge D’Affaires of the US embassy had said the US was looking at joint production of Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines in India and ways to help manufacturers like the Serum Institute of India (SII) to boost production.

As India was facing a rapid increase in coronavirus infections, the US sent six planeloads of life-saving supplies in support of the country’s fight against the pandemic. –PTI