India, US in 'close cooperation' on COVID-19 information exchange: Ambassador Sandhu

Asserting that India and the United States are engaged in "close" cooperation on exchange of information regarding COVID-19, Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu has highlighted that there are at least three possible vaccines for coronavirus on which Indian and American companies are working together.

By Reena Bhardwaj Asserting that India and the United States are engaged in "close" cooperation on exchange of information regarding COVID-19, Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu has highlighted that there are at least three possible vaccines for coronavirus on which Indian and American companies are working together.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday (local time), Sandhu said that India is a "reliable partner" to the US and has been able to fulfil whatever assistance Washington has required. "Both International Centre for Medical Education and Research (ICMER) and here the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have been collaborating for a number of years. There is close cooperation exchange of information. Plus, as I said, collaboration, the at least three vaccines, on which Indian companies, and the United States companies are working together," Sandhu said.

"We are an important part of the supply chain, and this particular crisis has certainly shown to the United States, if not the world over that India is a reliable partner, whatever assistance they required in terms of the supply chain. India has been able to fulfil that, and this has been acknowledged by the highest level in the US government, but also at the people level," he added. The US and India have been cooperating during COVID-19 crisis and are providing all possible assistance to each other. The leaders of the two countries are in regular touch since the outbreak on the virus.

The US has provided almost USD 5.9 million towards health assistance to India to curb the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Indian has exported Hydroxychloroquine tablets after President Donald Trump requested.

Trump had then thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing the export of HCQ, deemed a possible cure against the disease. Sandhu stated that the United States government has been cooperative with India during one of the biggest evacuations of its citizens. "The United States government has been cooperative with us so we are in close touch with them, whatever permissions etc. And whatever facilities required, they have provided," he said.

The evacuation process under Vande Bharat mission begins today. The first flight will be from San Francisco to Mumbai and Hyderabad on May 09 (local time) with 200 passengers on board. On May 10, an Air India flight from New York with 300 passengers on board will come to Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Later on May 11, passengers from Chicago will land in Mumbai and Chennai. Lastly, on May 12, there may be a flight from Washington DC to Delhi and Hyderabad. (ANI)

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