Vaccine Maitri exercise defines India in world: EAM Jaishankar
Jul 13, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 13 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the Vaccine Maitri exercise has been a strong statement and defines what India is to the world.
"I think, Vaccine Maitri has been a very strong statement. Very often when I go to Africa to other countries in Asia, or meet with my counterparts in the Caribbean or the Pacific Island. I will say today perhaps if there's a single action, which for them defines what is India, then it is actually been the Vaccine Maitri exercise," Jaishankar said at an ICCR event.
He said India is increasingly perceived as a tech-friendly society and the generosity of India has also come through in different ways.
"India today, when it comes to soft power is a polity, which expresses its beliefs, which practices its values, which is very proud of its way of life. We obviously will not allow it to be diminished or denigrated," Jaishankar said while talking about the soft power.
Mentioning India's progress, he said, "I think India today is progressing, which is embracing modernity while preserving and even enriching its traditions."
Jaishankar also mentioned that India enriches the world more by example than by aggressive advocacy.
"The message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in many ways, expresses that middle path when it comes to coexistence and pluralism," he concluded.
In January 2021, India launched the Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship) initiative - a major diplomatic effort to gift and supply made-in-India vaccines to low-income and developing countries globally.
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria, United Kingdom, and many other countries were among some of the beneficiaries of the Vaccine Maitri initiative.
India kicked off international shipments of the vaccines on January 20, 2021, only four days after starting its own vaccination program. Bhutan and Maldives were the first countries to receive vaccines as a grant from India.
