Vaccine, Afghanistan, India-China to be part of EAM Jaishankar & US' Blinken talks: Source

The rising number of COVID-19 cases in India and the vaccine shortage that has emerged from that tops the list of issues to be discussed between External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar and his US counterpart Antony Blinken during the meeting in the US. Jaishankar, who landed in New York on May 23 as part of a week-long US visit, marks the first visit of a high-level Indian Minister since Democratic President Joe Biden entered office in January this year. 

COVID-related issues to be discussed between Jaishankar and Blinken

As per sources, Jaishankar during the meeting with Blinken is to bring to the attention of Blinken the prevailing COVID-19 scenario in India. In a bid to fight the pandemic by augmenting the vaccination drive, Jaishankar is going to ask for the help of Blinken in terms of delivery of vaccines, which is said to be lying unused in the US stock. There have been discussions for the procurement of the vaccines, and that does not seem like a mammoth challenge if Indemnity and Emergency Use Authorisation issues are solved. 

It is pertinent to mention here that US has a stockpile of millions of  AstraZeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, and has pledged to distribute 80 million doses from this stockpile to countries in need, of which 20 million doses are promised alone to India.

Vaccines not the only point of discussion

As per sources, though important, vaccines will not be the only point of discussion, and the leaders will also talk on lines of International relationships. The LAC standoff in Ladakh and the recent cozying up of the four members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue are sticking points in Sino-Indian ties and both would figure in Jaishankar’s talks Blinken.

Other issues of importance for India would be the Afghan peace process, especially in the light of a complete drawdown of US and allied forces from the country. Australia this week announced that it would close its embassy in Afghanistan due to the “increasingly uncertain security environment" in Kabul as foreign troops withdraw. The implications of the changed scenario in the troubled country are of great significance to New Delhi.

It is pertinent to mention here that Jaishankar and Blinkan had met earlier this month at the G7 conference in London and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in multilateral fora, including at the UN Security Council. The US has backed India’s claim for a permanent seat on the crucial UN body but China remains the stumbling block in this area. This issue may also come up between the two leaders this time. 

(Credit-AP/PTI)