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India is in touch with US entities for procurement of vaccines and manufacturing them in the country to augment vaccine supply, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.
On the US government’s intentions to make vaccines available to other countries, the MEA said that details were not available.
“We remain engaged with US entities on the prospect of procuring vaccines from the US and also perhaps manufacturing them in India subsequently. This will augment our vaccine availability,” said Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, MEA, in a media briefing on Thursday.
He said that the government had noted recent announcements of the US of its intentions to make vaccines available to other countries but didn’t have details.
On Farzad B gas field
On the signing of a contract between National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) with Petropars Group for the development of the Farzad B gas field, Bagchi said that the Indian consortium was in touch with Iranian authorities on its involvement at a later stage.
“We have seen media reports that the NIOC has signed a contract this week on May 17 with Petropars for the development of Farzad B gas field and wanted to involve India appropriately at a later stage. Involvement of this Indian consortium is underway and we are in torch with them. The latest developments are of course part of Iran’s own efforts to develop the gas field and we are in touch, our consortium is in touch with Iran authorities,” he said.
On quality of surplus US vaccines
Answering questions on the quality of the surplus AstraZeneca vaccines that the US may supply from its stockpile, Bagchi said that all vaccines imported from abroad have to be according to Indian guidelines. “I understand that the US has also indicated that any vaccine it sends abroad will be after obtaining FDA clearance on vaccine quality,” he added.
US President Joe Biden announced that his country would export an additional 20 million Covid-19 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.
Responding to queries on India’s plans of further vaccine supplies abroad, Bagchi said that the Foreign Secretary had already highlighted the need to purpose the vaccines produced domestically towards India’s own vaccination programme.
On foreign medical assistance coming to India, the MEA said that many countries expressed solidarity and support with India in its fight against the second wave of Covid-19. “About 40 countries have supplied Covid related materials and equipment to India through the Red Cross Society,” he said.
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