Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lauded the Centre’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, calling it one of India’s most significant accomplishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an article for The Week, he highlighted how India’s vaccine diplomacy showcased international leadership rooted in responsibility and solidarity.
Tharoor, an ex-Minister of State for External Affairs, recognized India's contribution towards providing vaccines to more than 100 nations, including Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, African countries, and Myanmar, when richer nations hoarded vaccines for themselves.
"India's vaccine diplomacy represented and added to the very essence of its soft power," he stated, highlighting that it consolidated relationships with neighboring nations under the 'Neighborhood First' policy. He also commended India's support for the global COVAX initiative, a WHO-initiated effort for equitable vaccine distribution, which was "shamefully under-resourced" by developed countries.
Apart from vaccine delivery, India also deployed military physicians to Nepal, the Maldives, and Kuwait, and provided online training for South Asian healthcare professionals, as well as interacting with international platforms such as GAVI, the Quad, and the Pan Africa E-Network for long-term international collaboration.
"India brought the values of compassion, cooperation, and international partnership to the world, forging goodwill, consolidating diplomatic relations, and raising its global profile. Five years on, that silver lining to the Covid cloud is still worth recalling—and applauding," Tharoor concluded.
His statement follows his recent appreciation of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's balanced approach towards the Russia-Ukraine war and diplomatic interactions with leaders worldwide, including former US President Donald Trump.
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