Stronger India-US health partnership can be powerful force to fight global COVID-19 pandemic, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday emphasised that a stronger India-US health partnership can be a powerful force to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic as he met business leaders in Washington and discussed India's priorities and the importance of strengthening critical supply chains and collaboration for production of vaccines and therapeutics.

According to Indian Embassy in the USA, Jaishankar held wide ranging conversation with members of USIBC and US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief.

"Discussed India's priorities and the importance of strengthening critical supply chains & collaboration for production of vaccines and therapeutics. Emphasized that a stronger health partnership can be a powerful force to fight the global pandemic," India in USA wrote in a tweet.

"Appreciate the participation of CEOs of US companies from diverse business sectors, their support for India's efforts to fight the pandemic, and US industry's firm commitment to advance India-US trade, investment and technology partnership," it further tweeted.

The US business leaders also highlighted their ongoing support to assist COVID-19 relief efforts in India, vaccine access and further ways to build healthcare infrastructure together.

"Productive meeting w/ EAM @DrSJaishankar, #GlobalTaskForce members, @USChamber and @USIBC leadership. Minister Jaishankar was briefed on cos' ongoing support to assist COVID-19 relief efforts in India, vaccine access and further ways to build healthcare infrastructure together.", the US-India Business Council, a business advocacy group tweeted post the closed-door Business Roundtable.

Jaishankar is currently on a five-day visit to United States. Jaishankar arrived in the US on May 24, and is slated to visit many senior officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his stay till May 28.

Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Friday, the Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said on Wednesday (local time).

US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield.

( With inputs from ANI )

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