'India to give priority to Sri Lanka while supplying COVID-19 vaccine to other nations'

January 06, 2021 21:40

India has agreed to give priority to Sri Lanka when supplying its COVID-19 vaccine to other countries, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday told Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, according to an official statement issued here.

The Drug Controller General of India on Sunday approved the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech, for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

The president told the Indian minister that Sri Lanka wishes to obtain the Indian vaccine, Rajapaksa's office said in a statement.

According to the statement, Jaishankar told president Rajapaksa that India has agreed to give priority to Sri Lanka when supplying the Indian vaccine to other countries.

The two countries discussed further areas of cooperation, including the Colombo port's eastern container terminal, it said.

-- PTI

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