Nepal seeks early supply of COVID-19 vaccines, India assures priority

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has assured Nepal that it will be among the first countries to receive India-developed twin Covid-19 vaccines. India said the supply schedule of the vaccines will be announced in the upcoming week, reported Hindustan Times.

This assurance was conveyed to Nepalese foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali during his visit to New Delhi for the 6th round of the Joint Commission Meeting with EAM S Jaishankar.

Foreign ministers of both countries sat for the 6th round of the Joint Commission Meeting that took place in Delhi on Friday. The meeting saw a key focus being on COVID vaccines, the border issue, and connectivity.

On the COVID-19 vaccine, the Indian side assured that Nepal's requirement will be a priority consideration. That, on a day, when Nepal had approved India's Covidshield Vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India. Nepal wants 20% or around 12 million doses of Covid vaccines from India.

A release by India's ministry of external affairs said, "The close cooperation between the two sides in combating COVID-19 pandemic in the region was noted. Nepal congratulated India on the remarkable success in the production of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines in India and requested for early provision of vaccines to Nepal."

India has risen to the occasion in the war against the deadly coronavirus pandemic by not only launching the world's biggest inoculation campaign in the country but also with the production of affordable and easy-to-handle vaccines for which demand is pouring in from Latin America, Africa, Asia and some east European countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated in his address at the UN General Assembly that India, as the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, would use its "vaccine production and delivery capacity to help all humanity in fighting the coronavirus crisis".

Apart from Nepal, the country has also assured its neighbours Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka that it would cater to their needs on a priority basis.

In their talks on Friday, Jaishankar and Gyawali held a comprehensive review of all aspects of bilateral ties including border management, connectivity, trade, power, oil and gas, water resources, capacity building and tourism among others.

On connectivity, both sides discussed, a new oil pipeline on the eastern side connecting Siliguri to Jhapa in Nepal and a possible Raxaul-Kathmandu broad gauge railway line. Both sides welcomed the commencement of construction of third Integrated Check Posts at Nepalgunj.

On the Pancheshwar hydropower project, the Nepali FM said, "Our recent conversation on this transformative mega project has been encouraging. Once realized, Pancheshwar will not only be a big project on its own but also set a success story of how we can make arrangements for cost and benefit sharing in harnessing of our vast water resources."

It was the first high-level engagement between the two sides after relations nosedived following the boundary row.

Source : DNA India