New Delhi (NVI): Apart from the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to key partner countries under grant assistance, India is also undertaking contractual supplies to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs said today.
Addressing weekly press briefing here, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that commercial shipments of the vaccines have already been dispatched to Brazil and Morocco.
He said that the grant assistance of vaccines to the neighbouring countries commenced on January 20. So far, the vaccine consignments have been sent to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles– all six key partner and neighbouring countries to which India had promised supplies under grant assistance.
“On the first day, 1.5 lakh doses of vaccines were supplied to Bhutan and 1 lakh doses to Maldives as grant assistance,” Srivastava said.
“Yesterday, supplies of 10 lakh doses to Nepal and 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh were undertaken. Today, consignments of 15 lakh doses for Myanmar, 1 lakh doses to Mauritius and 50,000 doses to Seychelles are being airlifted,” he added.
On any plans to send Covid vaccine assistance to Pakistan, the MEA spokesman said, “I am not aware of any request for the supply of Indian made vaccines to Pakistan on a G2G basis or commercial basis. The other part of the question is hypothetical at this stage and I would not like to respond”
He further informed that supplies as grant assistance to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be undertaken after receiving confirmation of regulatory clearances from these two countries.
Srivastava said that keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. “It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad,” he said.
The MEA spokesman further informed that the supply of Indian made vaccines are underway both as gifts as well as on commercial basis. “There are consultations involving a number of Ministries preceding such supplies the exact nature of which I do not have information on,” he said.
“In terms of quantities and types of vaccines, the supplies abroad on G-to-G, G-to-B and B-to-B basis would be based on availability and regulatory approvals in the countries concerned,” he added.
-ARK
