The External Affairs Ministry has said that India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. Addressing the media in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Anurag Srivastava said that it will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad. He said, there is interest in many countries in accessing vaccines from India which is the global hub for vaccine production. 

Mr Srivastava said that the Prime Minister has already stated that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity would be used for the benefit of all humanity in fighting this crisis. Mr Srivastava informed that India’s grant assistance of vaccines to the neighbouring countries commenced on 20th of this month and on the first day, 1.5 lakh doses of vaccines were supplied to Bhutan and one lakh doses to Maldives as grant assistance. 

He said, yesterday, supplies of 10 lakh doses of vaccines to Nepal and 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh were undertaken. He also informed that today, consignments of 15 lakh doses for Myanmar, one lakh doses to Mauritius and 50 thousand doses to Seychelles were airlifted. He also said that supplies as grant assistance to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be undertaken after receiving confirmation of regulatory clearances from these two countries.