EAM Jaishankar on 5-day visit to US next week, to hold parleys for Covid-related cooperation

New Delhi: External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is set to visit United States next week, beginning on May 24.

During the five day long long trip, EAM is expected to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York and will also hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington to discuss Covid-related cooperation including vaccine production, reports said.

Jaishankar will also meet Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship.

“External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between India and the US,” said the ministry statement.

India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar’s interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders.

The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need.

With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India.

US has stockpile of 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine

US has a stockpile 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

US is playing a lead role in assisting India’s fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield.

US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives.