The Narendra Modi government has given solid assurance to Nepal that it will be among the first countries to receive the COVID19 vaccines manufactured in India. The supply schedule is expected to be mapped out next week, according to a report by HT.
The assurance was given during Nepalese foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali's recent visit to New Delhi for his Joint Commission Meeting with external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to meet Gyawali, he had to opt-out of the meeting due to the ongoing countrywide commencement of COVID vaccine drive. However, Gyawali was received by Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, who is number two in the Modi government.
"Today as we wait for the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, India is one of the frontrunners. This has given us great hope. I take this opportunity to congratulate India and its innovative companies for success. Being next door, we believe we too will be availing these vaccines," Gyawali had said in a speech during an event organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs at Sapru House.
Pradeep Gyawali briefed External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar about the readiness in Nepal to receive the COVID vaccines from India. The Nepal regulators on Friday granted Serum Institute of India (SII) manufactured vaccine Covishield for emergency usage. The two countries are now in contact to discuss the training of medical modules under which Nepalese front line workers will be vaccinated during the restricted use period.
Nepal has a total of 2,67,056 Covid-19 cases with as many as 1,954 persons losing their lives to the pandemic, which had origins in China.
India and Nepal have also agreed to deepen defence cooperation by the closer military to military cooperation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also offered to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training and capacity building to the Oli government.
