Nepal’s Foreign Minister Gyawali thanked India for supporting the country in its fight against COVID-19

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali held a telephone conversation on Friday and exchanged views on intensifying efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

A statement regarding the telephonic conversation between the two ministers was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal.

According to the statement, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Gyawali expressed sincere thanks to the Government of India for supporting Nepal in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the generous gift of one million doses of Covishield.

He requested the External Affairs Minister of India for necessary facilitation for the supply of vaccines for Nepal to continue administering the second dose of vaccination for people at highest risk, the statement noted.

The External Affairs Minister of India assured Foreign Minister Gyawali of continued support to Nepal in its fight against the pandemic, including through the supply of vaccines, it added.

India has so far supplied 24.48 lakh doses of the Covishield vaccine to Nepal till 9 April under its Vaccine Maitri Initiative. Of the total Made-in-India vaccine doses supplied 11 lakh have been under grant to Nepal, 10 lakh under commercial agreements and 3.48 lakhs under Covax facility.

The last supply of the Made-in-India vaccines to Kathmandu was on 28 March when New Delhi gifted 1 lakh doses of the vaccine to Nepal Army as part of the efforts of the militaries of the two neighbors to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Earlier, under COVID-related assistance extended to Nepal, India had supplied Remdesivir vials, ICU ventilators, COVID-19 Test Kits (RT-PCR) and essential medicines including Paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine.

According to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) website, as of 6.30 pm of April 9, India has supplied a total of 645.12 lakh vaccines given as grants, under commercial agreements and as part of the Covax facility.

Out of the total number of Made-in-India vaccines supplied, 105.25 lakh have been supplied as grant, 357.92 lakh under commercial agreements and 181.95 under the Covax facility.

So far, under India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative, Made-in-India vaccines have been supplied to 85 countries.