Published 07:39 IST, January 17th 2021
Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulates PM Modi for vaccine launch
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive.
On Saturday, January 16, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive. “Congratulations PM @narendramodi and the Government of India on taking this very important step with this massive #COVID19Vaccination drive. We are starting to see the beginning of the end to this devastating pandemic”, Rajapaksa wrote on his official Twitter handle. Shots of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines were administered at various medical centres all across the nation.
India launches mass COVID vaccine drive
PM Modi launched the pan-India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive via video conferencing. He said that everyone had only one question in their minds and that is "when will the vaccine be available?" PM Modi said that the vaccine is now available and the world's largest vaccination rollout will begin in a few minutes.
"With self-confidence and self-reliance, we fought with the virus. The pledge that we will not let our confidence down in this battle is shown by every Indian," PM Modi said. "Today when we take a look at the last year, we realise that we have learnt a lot as a person, a family and as a nation. Today, when we start our vaccination drive, I want to remember those days when everyone wanted to do something but were not able to find a way due to Coronavirus," he said. The drugs regulatory body of India has currently approved two vaccines. Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has developed the Covishield vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University while the Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad's Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Medical Council of research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology.
Jaishankar's visit
Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka and said that the two countries are now looking at post-COVID cooperation. He said that the pandemic has given both the countries an opportunity to work closely. "We are now looking at post-COVID cooperation and I carry back with me Sri Lanka’s interest in accessing vaccines from India”, said Jaishankar. He further added, “India has been strongly committed to the unity, stability and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Our support for the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka is long-standing as indeed for an inclusive political outlook that encourages ethnic harmony”.
(Image Credits: PTI)
Updated 07:39 IST, January 17th 2021