Vaccine initiative most pressing, valuable takeaway of Quad summit: Foreign Secretary Shringla

Noting that the vaccine initiative "is the most pressing and valuable" among the concrete takeaways of the first summit meeting of Quad leaders, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday said that the four-member countries of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue have agreed to pool their financial resources, manufacturing capabilities and logistics to ramp up the manufacture and distribution of COVID19 vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region.

Addressing a press conference after Quad summit meeting held virtually, Shringla said the aim is to produce a billion doses by the end of 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison took part in the meeting. The meeting was hosted by the US.

"The four leaders have agreed to a plan to pool their financial resources, manufacturing capabilities and capacities and logistics so as to ramp up the manufacturing and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region. We believe this will speed up the process of post-pandemic recovery and enable families and businesses to put the core of the COVID-19 crisis behind them and move towards normalisation," Shringla said.

He added that the initiative was designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in the Indo-Pacific region.

"India welcomes this initiative as it recognises our own manufacturing capacities and capabilities, and we look forward to wholeheartedly participate in this endeavour. It is an example of human-centric international cooperation and globalisation, and a validation of our reputation as a reliable manufacturer of high-quality vaccines and pharmaceutical products during this COVID-19 crisis," he said.

He said PM Modi stated that Quad is a partnership for global growth.

"Today's summit saw the Quad leaders adopt a positive agenda and vision, focusing on contemporary issues such as vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies. At the summit the leaders sought to strengthen peace, stability and well being among the people of the Indo Pacific," he said.

"Many of the objectives that were enunciated at the Quad summit are reflected in the concrete takeaways of the meeting, of which the Quad vaccine initiative is the most pressing and valuable, he added.

( With inputs from ANI )