External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a five-day visit to the US next week where he will meet his counterpart Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and is expected to discuss Covid-related cooperation, including supply of vaccines and raw materials to India.

Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York, per an official statement of the MEA. The visit will be from May 24-28.

“He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and Covid-related cooperation between India and the US,” the statement said.

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EAM Jaishankar to discuss Covid-19 vaccine procurement in five-day US visit
 

In his meeting with Blinken in Washington, Jaishankar is likely to discuss details of US plans of exporting Covid-19 vaccines to other countries, according to a source close to the development. US President Joe Biden announced on Monday that his country would export an additional 20 million vaccine doses, over and above the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines it has already committed to other countries. The US government, however, did not share how these vaccines would be divided between countries and what India’s share will be.

Raw material supply

“The EAM is likely to discuss may also ask the US to fast-track raw material supply to India for the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines so that the country’s domestic availability can be augmented,” the source said.

The two leaders may also take up matters related to trade barriers and restrictions that are in place in both countries and discuss ways to resolve them, the source added.

The US, at present, is carrying out a Section 301 hearing against India’s digital services tax on non-resident e-commerce operators following which it may impose penal duties on about 40 items from India including gems & jewellery and marine products.

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