In the backdrop of Washington announcing assistance to India amid the COVID crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden spoke to each other on Monday. India has been reporting over three lakh COVID-19 cases in the last few days, with allies rushing to assist it.
India PM Modi tweeted, saying, "Had a fruitful conversation with @POTUS @JoeBiden today. We discussed the evolving COVID situation in both countries in detail. I thanked President Biden for the support being provided by the United States to India."
Adding, "My discussion with @POTUS @JoeBiden also underscored the importance of smooth and efficient supply chains of vaccine raw materials and medicines. India-US healthcare partnership can address the global challenge of COVID-19."
The US on Sunday agreed to provide the specific raw material for Indian Covishield vaccine manufacturers to increase its production as COVID-19 crisis wreak havoc across the world and India.
US President Biden, after the development had tweeted, "Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need."
The breakthrough on raw material for COVID vaccines manufacture in India came after Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and American National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to each other. Other than that, US will be supplying therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, PPE, oxygen generators, and deploy an expert team of health advisors from CDC and USAID to help India.
A US readout of Doval-Jake talks said, "Building on the seven-decade health partnership between the United States and India —including battles against smallpox, polio, and HIV — they resolved that India and the United States will continue to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic together."
Top officials from the US tweeted in a massive show of support for India as it battles the COVID pandemic. These tweets were by Vice President Kamala Harris, Defence secretary Lloyd Austin, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Deputy Secretary of the state Wendy Sherman, US envoy to US Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
