The Narendra Modi government has assured Nepal that it will be among the first countries to receive the twin Covid-19 vaccine developed by India, the supply schedule of which will be announced in the coming week. This assurance was given to Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali during a visit to New Delhi for a joint commission meeting with Foreign Minister Subramanian Jaishankar.
Although political opponents of Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Oli have portrayed the visit to Gyawali as a damp block, the fact that the Nepali Foreign Minister’s interlocutor in New Delhi was impressed by his professionalism. The bilateral relationship was supported. According to top government sources, Gyawali was fully involved in the launch of Covid-19 vaccines on 16 January, as the PM could not meet Modi. This was only due to the earlier commitments of the PM, which was received by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to Gyawali, who is second in the Modi government.
It is understood that India will take care of the emergency needs of its friends by supplying vaccines for restricted use in priority neighboring countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, besides Nepal.
According to government negotiators, Gyawali informed EAM Jaishankar about obtaining Indian vaccine in Nepal with the regulator of Nepal to obtain approval during his visit to foreign dignity. The two countries are now discussing the training of the medical module, which will vaccinate Nepalese front line workers during the period of restricted use. There are a total of 2,67,056 Covid-19 cases in Nepal, with 1,954 individuals battling the epidemic that originated in China.
During the visit to Gyawali, the two sides gradually agreed to open air and land routes, which was hit by an epidemic. Both countries agreed to expedite field location survey related to Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line.
While India-Nepal decided to deepen defense cooperation by the military for military support, Rajnath Singh offered to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief training and capacity building to the Oli government.
One of the officials present at the bilateral meetings said, “There was no sharp comment about the bilateral relationship during the visit to Gyawali keeping the visitor’s attention,”