India, US agree to work towards increasing Covid-19 vaccine availability

India and the United States today agreed to work towards increasing Covid-19 vaccine availability and saving lives.

This was agreed during a virtual meeting between Kathleen Tai, US Trade Representative, and Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, an official statement said, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

The meeting focused on increasing vaccine availability "in an inclusive and equitable manner to combat the global pandemic caused by Covid-19."

India's proposal for patent waiver to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and saving lives was also discussed.

Goyal thanked Tai for the US announcing its support for India's proposal and said the supply chains for the vaccine manufacturers "must be kept open and unbridled as the entire world is in dire need of vaccines."

"Both sides agreed to work towards the common resolve of increasing vaccine availability and saving lives," the statement said.