'India Is A True Friend': US Applauds India For Free Covid-19 Vaccine Shipments To Various Countries

As India supplied its domestically produced coronavirus vaccines to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles under grant assistance, the United States of America (USA) termed India as a ‘true friend’ which is helping the global community, reports The Indian Express.

A number of countries including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco have received the commercial supplies of vaccines from India.

“We applaud India’s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID19 vaccine in South Asia. India's free shipments of vaccines began with Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal & will extend to others. India's a true friend using its pharma to help the global community,” the South and Central Asia Bureau of the US State Department tweeted on Friday (22 January).

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks too commended India’s efforts to help its neighbors by providing them with free COVID19 vaccines. He said that global challenges like the pandemic require both regional and global solutions.

Earlier today as the vaccine shipments from India had reached Brazil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted “Trust the Pharmacy of the World. Made in India vaccines arrive in Brazil.”

India has started its vaccine diplomacy termed as ‘Vaccine Maitri’ under its Neighborhood First policy.

During the pandemic, India had supplied Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir and Paracetamol tablets as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves and other medical supplies to a large number of countries.