India, US discuss vaccine partnership aimed at expanding access and ensuring supply

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington last night. In a tweet, Dr Jaishankar said, there was productive discussion on various aspects of the bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues. Both leaders discussed Indo Pacific and the Quad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, UNSC matters and other international organizations.

He said, discussion also focused on Indo-US vaccine partnership aimed at expanding access and ensuring supply. Dr Jaishankar appreciated the strong solidarity expressed by the US at this time. He said, the talks have further solidified our strategic partnership and enlarged our agenda of cooperation.

Mr Blinken said, United States and India are working together on so many of the most important challenges of our time and ones that are having a profound impact on the lives of our citizens. He said, US and India are united in confronting COVID-19 together, united in dealing with the challenge posed by climate change, and both countries partnered together directly through the Quad and other institutions at the United Nations in dealing with many of the challenges that we face in the region and around the world.

Mr Blinken said, the partnership between the United States and India is vital, it’s strong and it’s increasingly productive. The US Secretary of State said, we remember in the earlier days of COVID, India was there for the United States, something we will never forget and now we want to make sure that we are there for and with India.