India has invited Pakistani diplomats to participate in the Covid-19 discussion and the rollout of its vaccine. This comes in line with India’s ongoing vaccination drive that was launched last month.
The diplomatic move has been taken to involve foreign diplomats and collectively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in the region, as per media reports. However, Pakistan is yet to make a call on whether it is going to join the drive or not.
A release by MEA, quoted as saying in the Zee News report, said: “India’s R&D facilities, manufacturing capacity, foreign collaborations in the fields of pharmaceuticals, including vaccine production, were highlighted...India is committed to partnering with all interested countries in vaccine-related efforts, in the service of humanity.”
Global collaboration
India has asked its foreign counterparts to take part in the vaccination drive so as to collectively resolve the ongoing pandemic. The country invited over 50 foreign diplomats in December, 2020 to display the production of the vaccine by two biotechnological companies based in Hyderabad — Bharat Biotech and Biological E.
During the visit, the foreign envoys were briefed on India’s efforts to develop the vaccine domestically.
In November, 2020 India briefed some foreign envoys about its action plan to tackle the Covid-19 crisis by Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla, Zee News report added.
India began one of the largest vaccination drives in the world on January 16. According to the Health Ministry data, around 41 lakh healthcare workers have been inoculated against Covid-19. The country has also gifted its domestically developed vaccines to its neighboring countries as a goodwill gesture.