Kamala Harris calls Modi, PM Appreciates US Assurance

While India is reeling under shortage of Covid vaccine, US Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone today. According to government sources, the call was initiated by the American side.

During the call, Harris stressed the Joe Biden administration’s efforts to ‘achieve broad global coverage, responding to surges and other urgent situations ad public health needs and helping as many countries as possible who requested vaccines’, according to Senior White House Advisor and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders.

It may be recalled that the Biden administration unveiled a plan to share Covid-19 vaccines with the world, including its plans to channelize 75 per cent of excess doses through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme.

India is expecting to benefit the most from this programme.

It is learnt that apart from Modi, Harris also dialled President Andres Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala, and Prime Minister Keith Rowley, Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

“The Vice President informed each of the leaders that the Biden-Harris administration will begin sharing the first 25 million doses of Covid vaccines to their respective countries and others, as part of the administration’s framework for sharing at least 80 million vaccines globally by the end of June,” the White House said in a statement.

Later in the evening, Modi tweeted, deeply appreciating the US’ assurance and thanking Vice President Harris for the support and solidarity from the US government, businesses and Indians living in the US.

In May, External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, the first Indian Cabinet minister to visit the US under the Biden administration, said that the pandemic and vaccines were one of the most important areas of his discussions with top officials during his two-day visit.