‘US a Big Support Amid Covid Challenge’: Jaishankar Holds Talks on Vaccines With American Lawmakers

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met influential American lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties and discussed developments pertaining to Quad and the cooperation on vaccines with them.

“Discussed developments pertaining to Quad and our cooperation on vaccines. Recognise their leadership in building stronger ties,” Jaishankar said after his meeting with Congressman Gregory Meeks, who is the chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with its ranking member, Congressman Michael McCaul.

The minister also had a “good conversation” with the co-chairs of the House India Caucus, Congressman Brad Sherman from the Democratic Party and Congressman Steve Chabot from the Republican Party.

“The US Congress has been a tremendous pillar of support as India meets the Covid challenge,” Jaishankar tweeted. All the four US lawmakers have been strong advocates of the India-US relationship.

“Glad to meet DNI Avril Haines. Look forward to working closely together to address contemporary security challenges and advance our strategic partnership,” he said in another tweet.

In a tweet, Sherman said he learned how India is fighting COVID-19 and working to disentangle its economy from China. A day earlier, after introducing the Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement (EAGLE) Act, Congressman Meeks appreciated the Biden administration’s initiative towards India.

“Secretaries Blinken and Austin’s trips to Japan and Korea, and Secretary Austin’s separate trip to India, so early in the new administration, reinforced America’s role as a Pacific power, and signalled to China and the world that the United States is back in the arena with our allies and partners alongside us,” he said.

“US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met today to review the strong partnership between the world’s largest democracies. They welcomed cooperation in recent weeks that resulted in deliveries of over $500 million in Covid-19 relief supplies from the US federal and state governments, US companies and from private citizens across America for the people of India,” US spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.

Sullivan also took to Twitter to convey that the US government has “delivered over $500 million in COVID-19 relief to India”.

“I met today with India’s Minister Jaishankar. Our people-to-people ties and our values are the foundation of the U.S.-India partnership and will help us end the pandemic, lead on climate, and support a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.

“The U.S. government and Americans across the country have delivered over $500 million in COVID-19 relief to India. We will beat this pandemic together,” he added.

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