Jaishankar, Blinken talk on India’s Covid-19 crisis

With massive American assistance to India pouring in, the US will monitor the Covid situation in India closely and respond positively to any Indian requests, US secretary of state Antony J. Blinken assured external affairs minister S. Jaishankar at their first in-person meeting in London early Tuesday, with the supply of oxygen and some equipment, including anti-Covid drugs like Remdesivir, a key priority. There was an in-depth discussion on the Covid challenge and India’s immediate requi-rements, but the two also discussed how “greater Indian vaccine production can address both India’s own needs and the requirements of global public health”. They agreed “India and the US will collaborate bilaterally, in the Quad format and multilateral initiatives”.

Mr Jaishankar tweeted: “Our meeting also covered the Indo-Pacific, UNSC, Myanmar and climate change.”

With massive American assistance to India pouring in, the United States is monitoring the Covid situation in India closely and will respond positively to any Indian requests, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has assured external affairs minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar—in their first in-person meeting in London early on Tuesday—sources said, with supply of oxygen and related equipment including anti-Covid drugs like Remdesivir being a key priority.

While there was an indepth discussion on the coronavir challenge and the immediate requirements of India, the two foreign ministers also discussed how “greater Indian vaccine production can address both India’s own needs and the requirement of global public health” and agreed that “India and US will collaborate bilaterally, in Quad format and through multilateral initiatives,” sources added.

The US state department, meanwhile, said: “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Indian external affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar in London to discuss the Covid-19 challenge and addressed the deepening of the USIndia comprehensive global strategic partnership.