EAM Jaishankar to begin 5-day visit to US from today, vaccine supply on agenda

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United States from today, i.e. May 24 to meet with US officials and discuss COVID-related cooperation between the two countries.

Jaishankar will be visiting the United States from May 24-May 28, the External Affairs Ministry had said on Friday. It will be the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office in January.

The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and later he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry had said.

Jaishankar had met Blinken earlier this month on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of G-7 countries in London.

He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. 

"External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between India and the US," said the ministry statement.

India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines.

The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar's interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders.

The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India.

US has a stockpile 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus.

As India was facing a rapid increase in coronavirus infections, the US sent six plane loads of life-saving supplies in support of the country's fight against the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the US sent to India raw materials for vaccine production which it said would enable the manufacture of 20 million doses of the Covishield vaccines.

Providing raw materials for the production of coronavirus vaccines was a major component of the Biden administration's announcement on medical aid to India.

US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives.

In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of the coronavirus. EAM Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in early May in London during G7 Foreign Minister's meeting.

(With agency inputs)