New Delhi: As India battles the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic with the nation clocking over three lakh cases every day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with US President Joe Biden on Monday during which the two leaders discussed the Covid-19 situation and exchanged views on various regional and global challenges posed by the pandemic.
Prime Minister Modi after the phone call said that he had a fruitful discussion with President Biden and thanked him for the support being provided by the US to India.
“Had a fruitful conversation with @POTUS @JoeBiden today. We discussed the evolving COVID situation in both countries in detail. I thanked President Biden for the support being provided by the United States to India,” he tweeted.
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Prime Minister Modi further said the healthcare ties between both nations can address the global challenge of Covid-19.
“My discussion with @POTUS @JoeBiden also underscored the importance of smooth and efficient supply chains of vaccine raw materials and medicines. India-US healthcare partnership can address the global challenge of COVID-19,” he posted.
The phone call assumes significance as the US Government has decided to lift the export ban on the essential raw materials required by the vaccine manufacturer in India for the production of the Covid-19 vaccine.
This came after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan had a telephonic conversation regarding the spike in Covid-19 infections across the country.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price had last week defended the country’s restrictions on the export of key raw materials for the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccine that threatens to slow India's vaccination drive and asserted the US administration’s first obligation is to take care of the requirements of the American people.