Browne speaks with Indian envoy on covid19 vaccines

Amery Browne
Amery Browne

Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne said he took the opportunity of being at the launch of the Commonwealth Garden to speak with Indian High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu about vaccines for TT.

The launch of the garden took place at Wildflower Park, Serpentine Road, St Clair, on Friday morning.

Browne said, “The most distinguished High Commissioner of the Republic of India was a guest here at today’s event and we had a very nice exchange.

“And I did take the opportunity to remind him, once again, that we are awaiting a response from the Government of India to our requests for provision of vaccines for the people of TT.”

Browne said the commissioner once again indicated that he had received no response as yet but would continue to liaise with his headquarters and provide appropriate feedback in due course.

In media reports on Tuesday, Browne said he had not received a definitive response on TT’s request for a vaccine donation from India.

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February asking for a donation of AstraZeneca covid19 vaccines for TT.

Asked if the request by Persad-Bissessar had had a positive or negative effect on the Government's request, Browne said he was not in a position to speak on the Indian Government's behalf and did not wish to speculate on any impact or effect “on the follow-up request that would have gone after the Prime Minister’s initial letter.”

In February, Barbados donated 2,000 doses to TT from a shipment of 100,000 vaccines it had received from the Indian Government. This began the first and to date only set of vaccinations in TT.

TT is expected to receive a batch of 33,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses at the end of March through the Covax facility.

The additional 77,000 of 108,000 doses sought through the Covax facility should arrive at between the end of April and early May, the Health Minister has said.

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"Browne speaks with Indian envoy on covid19 vaccines"

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