EAM Jaishankar, US' Antony Blinken to discuss COVID-19, Quad cooperation

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is looking forward to meeting External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar to talk over issues, including COVID-19 efforts and strengthening of Indo-Pacific cooperation through the Quad, according to the US State Department spokesperson. Jaishankar on May 23 landed in New York, as part of a week-long US visit, to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres which is slated to last until May 28.

The spokesperson said, "The Secretary looks forward to meeting Minister Jaishankar during his visit and to discuss a broad range of issues, including COVID-19 relief, efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific cooperation through the Quad, enhanced UN and multilateral cooperation and a range of other shared regional security and economic priorities."

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the US, Japan, Australia, and India that is maintained by talks between member countries.

COVID-19 & Economic Related Cooperation

EAM Jaishankar is set to meet Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. The ministry statement said, "External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID related cooperation between India and the US." Ambassador/ Permanent Representative (current) of India to the United Nations India TS Tirumurti received EAM Jaishankar on his first visit to New York after India entered the UN Security Council as demonstrated by him on his official Twitter handle. 

India is engaged in deliberations with various US entities involved in COVID-19 vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is obviously a key agenda item during Jaishankar's conclave with US leadership and stakeholders.

The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly with a deadly 'second wave', New Delhi will be in an endeavour to procure maximum and focus on looking for tie-ups with COVID-19 vaccine developers to produce in India itself. 

US has a stockpile of 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Also, the US is playing a cardinal role in aiding India's fight with the unprecedented wave of the pandemic. It has previously consigned large numbers of life-saving medical equipment, such as oxygen plants, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also supplied raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India responsible for manufacturing COVISHIELD. 

TRIPS Agreement 

In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 other State members of WTO, proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for prevention, containment and treatment of the COVID-19.

TRIPS Agreement (that included patent protection to pharmaceutical products including COVID vaccines) waived off for vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for the time period of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to make vaccines and drugs available to a maximum number of people worldwide.

If the COVID-19 vaccines are patent protected, only a few pharmaceutical companies from developed western countries would be able to manufacture them, making such drugs unavailable or inaccessible owing to the high costs to people of other countries, especially, developing and least developed countries.

The US, which was opposed to any TRIPS waiver, has recently backed this proposal, along with the EU. This move has been welcomed by many since it might lead to the manufacture of more volumes of COVID-19 vaccines enabling the whole world to be virus-free soon. However, pharmaceutical companies have protested saying this would not necessarily ensure vaccine availability since developing countries do not have the capability to produce the vaccines.

(With ANI inputs)