Justin Trudeau dials PM Modi, days after facing questions over procuring COVID vaccines

Days after Canada's Justin Trudeau government faced questions over reaching out to India to procure COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received a call from his Canadian counterpart. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that he had a telephonic conversation with Canadian PM and assured him that India would do 'its best' to facilitate supplies of COVID-19 vaccine sought. Indian Prime Minister also said that duo agreed on continuing to collaborate on important issues like climate change and global ecomic recovery. 

"Expressing his appreciation, Prime Minister Trudeau said that if world mand to conquer COVID-19, it would be significantly because of India's tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Modi's leadership in sharing this capacity with world.  Prime Minister thanked PM Trudeau for his sentiments," a press release from PMO read.

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PM Modi's contact with his Canadian counterpart establishes smooth diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Ottawa which had been hit briefly after Trudeau administration's meddling into farmers' protest. Trudeau government had said that Canada will always be re to defend rights of peaceful protests, and expressed concern over situation inviting a stern response from India's Ministry of External Affairs. S Jaishankar-led ministry had n said that such 'comments pertaining to "internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable and would dam India-Canada bilateral relations.'

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India's vaccine maitri initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to Trudeau over supply of COVID vaccines also marks extension of India's 'Vaccine Maitri Initiative'. Under initiative, India has already started exporting COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in India to several countries across globe upholding country's stature as ' World's Pharma'. So far, India has exported Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech's indigeus vaccine to more than 15 countries while ar 25 countries are queued at different levels to receive supplies. se include Brazil, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

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Both vaccines are already in circulation in India with healthcare workers receiving jabs in first phase of immunization drive. On Thursday, COVID-19 vaccines from India landed in Dominica with Prime Minister of Caribbean country saying that he did t imagine that prayers of his country would be answered so swiftly. Sharing a picture of a consignment reaching Dominica, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described it as "a gesture of goodwill and an example of support".

'Have you phoned Prime Minister Modi?'

Earlier, a  video of a Canadian Opposition lawmaker quizzing sitting Procurement Minister Anita Anand over contacting India to procure Covid-19 vaccines for country is being widely shared on social media. Michelle Rempel Garner, a Conservative MP and Shadow Minister for Health, in a meeting of standing committee on health asked if Trudeau government had reached out to Prime Minister Modi for vaccines. Garner asked, “Has minister or Prime Minister phoned Prime Minister Modi to ask if we could get vaccines from India?” Anand, clearly caught off-guard responded, "Well, thank you for that question. I am in regular communication with organisations and countries around world to secure doses of additional vaccines."

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