On Monday, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with his American counterpart Antony Blinken in London on the margins of the G7 foreign ministers meeting. This was the leaders’ first in-person interaction since United States (US) President Joe Biden’s January inauguration.
“Good to meet in person my old friend @SecBlinken,” Jaishankar wrote on Twitter. He added that they engaged in a “detailed discussion on the global Covid challenge, focussing on expanded vaccine production capacity and reliable supply chains.”
Good to meet in person my old friend @SecBlinken. Detailed discussion on the global Covid challenge, focussing on expanded vaccine production capacity and reliable supply chains. pic.twitter.com/iQZmGjuPi5
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 3, 2021
The meeting comes as India faces a devastating surge in coronavirus cases, coupled with extreme shortages in oxygen supply. Simultaneously, Washington is also under pressure to release its excess stockpile of vaccines to countries that need it and more broadly to loosen restrictions on intellectual property issues relating to vaccine production and distribution.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has pledged to support India in its time of need, coordinating closely across all levels of government to provide assistance related to supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Washington is also working to make raw material for vaccines and oxygen generators immediately available to the country.
In this regard, Blinken reiterated the US’ commitment to do everything it can to help India overcome the current crisis. “We remember so well when India came to our assistance in the early days of COVID in a very important and powerful way, and we are joined in this fight together,” he told reporters after their meeting. Jaishankar, meanwhile “expressed appreciation for the strong US support to India at this difficult time, especially oxygen and Remdesivir.” The two sides also discussed the benefits of collaboration in expanding global vaccination capabilities and agreed to work closely not just bilaterally but also through multilateral initiatives like the Quad grouping.
Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders additionally exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific strategic landscape and the climate crisis. The two sides launched the “India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership” at the Leaders Summit last month, and The Indian Express quoted sources noting that the early operationalisation of the agenda was important. The officials also discussed the unfolding situation and Myanmar, and ways to deepen cooperation in international fora, including at the UN Security Council and as a G7 guest country.