'India Was There For Us, And We Will Be There For Them': US Prez Biden After Phone Call With PM Modi

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.

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New Delhi: After a phone conversation with Prime Minister Modi, American President Joe Biden said the United States will be there for the country as it meets its worst-ever public health crisis. 

Help will come in the form of oxygen supplies, raw materials for COVID-19 vaccines, critical life-saving drugs to PPEs announced the White House.

"India was there for us, and we will be there for them," Biden said in a tweet soon after his phone call with Modi.

According to PTI, Biden said, "Today, I spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pledged America's full support to provide emergency assistance and resources in the fight against COVID-19".

The call between the two leaders is believed to have lasted for about 45 minutes during which Biden is understood to have offered all help that India needs in this hour of crisis.

"The president pledged America's steadfast ongoing support for the people of India, who have been impacted by the recent surge in the COVID-19 cases," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

"The United States has already provided 200 ventilators to India last year and trained medical professionals on their use, so this is of course in addition to that and other assistance we have provided," Psaki said.

She further added, India and the United States have two of the highest challenges as it relates to fighting the COVID pandemic so we also take that into account.

"But I can assure people who are watching and paying attention that we want to work in partnership with India. We are committed to getting them assistance they need, whether that's oxygen, PPE, therapeutics, tests, raw materials for vaccines, and we'll continue to communicate at the highest level," Psaki said.