Nepal, Bhutan Thank India At UNGA For Supplying Covid-19 Vaccines Under ‘Vaccine Maitri Initiative’

Under ‘Vaccine Maitri initiative’ more than 250 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been supplied to over 100 countries, including nearly 95 lakh doses to Nepal and 5.5 lakh doses to Bhutan.

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New Delhi: Bhutan and Nepal on Monday expressed gratitude and appreciation for India at the United Nations General Assembly for its “heart warming goodwill” and “valuable support”  in supplying Covid-19 vaccines under the ‘Vaccine Maitri initiative” that enabled the neighbouring countries to vaccinate their population amid the raging pandemic, reported news agency PTI. 

In his address to the high-level 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Monday, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Lyonpo Tandi Dorji  said that as with many other parts of the world, Bhutan was not spared the impacts of COVID-19 nor its induced disruptions.

"Our campaign to vaccinate our population has been recognised as an unlikely success story, and today, more than 90 per cent of our entire population stand fully vaccinated. This, in no small measure, was possible due to the heart warming goodwill of friends and partners, including India, whose Vaccine Maitri initiative enabled the full first round of vaccinations for our adult population," Dorji said in his address from UNGA podium on the last day of the General Debate.

Bhutan, Nepal express gratitude and appreciation for India at UN General Assembly for its "heart warming goodwill" and "valuable support" in supply of COVID-19 vaccines under 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 27, 2022

Bhutan also thanked the United States, Denmark, Bulgaria, Croatia, and China, "whose generosity with vaccines came at the most critical time". "We also thank all the other bilateral partners and multilateral agencies that supported logistics and provided financial support, medicines and equipment for our response to the pandemic. Our success would not have been possible without all of your support," the Bhutanese Foreign Minister said.

Nepalese Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal also expressed his appreciation while addressing the UNGA for the vaccines provided to his country by India. 

"In Nepal, we have been able to fully vaccinate 96 per cent of the target population, with almost everyone receiving at least one dose. We thank our immediate neighbours - India and China, our development partners, and the United Nations System for their valuable support," he said.

Under the Government of India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri initiative’ more than 250 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been supplied to over 100 countries, including nearly 95 lakh doses to Nepal and 5.5 lakh doses to Bhutan.