Covid vaccines to be key part of agenda

Covid-19 vaccines and the lingering impact of a US law on exports of vaccine raw materials are expected to figure prominently in external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s interactions with senior officials during his visit to the US next week. Jaishankar will meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York, and US secretary of state Antony Blinken in Washington as part of his May 2428 visit, the external affairs ministry announced on Friday. People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that ways to ramp up India’s procurement and production of Covid-19 vaccines are set to be a key part of the interactions. “This will include discussions on allocation of vaccines from the US stockpiles of 80 million doses that are set to be distributed by June,” the people said.