Canadian Minister Justin Trudeau who was recently caught in controversy when he supported the farmer’s protests called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (10 February), requesting for Covid-19 vaccines.
This comes after Michelle Rempel Garner, a Conservative MP and Shadow Minister for Health, in a meeting of the standing committee on health, asked the incumbent Procurement Minister Anita Anand if the Trudeau government had reached out to Prime Minister Modi for vaccines, to which the Minister did not reply positively and said ‘I do not know’.
Update: after this exchange, Trudeau called @narendramodi. Thank you to the Indian government for taking the call! Opposition political pressure works. https://t.co/nKkkUicUD5
— Michelle Rempel Garner (@MichelleRempel) February 10, 2021
In the last couple of weeks, India has generously gifted the indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccines to 20 countries under its vaccine diplomacy in keeping with its “Neighborhood First”.
An official statement released from the PMO said that Trudeau informed Modi about Canada’s requirement for Covid-19 vaccines from India and India will supply the vaccine under the Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship).
In an official tweet, Modi said, “Was happy to receive a call from my friend @JustinTrudeau Assured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of COVID vaccines sought by Canada.”
Was happy to receive a call from my friend @JustinTrudeau. Assured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of COVID vaccines sought by Canada. We also agreed to continue collaborating on other important issues like Climate Change and the global economic recovery.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2021
Trudeau told Modi that, “if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significant because of India’s tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in sharing this capacity with the world.”
Modi on his part has given assurance to the people of Canada that India would do its best to support Canada’s vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already.
The two leaders also discussed the common perspective shared by India and Canada on many important geopolitical issues and agreed to continue the close collaboration between both the countries in fighting global challenges like climate change and the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trudeau also said that he is looking forward to meeting Modi in various important international events later this year.
M Nageswara, a retired Indian Police Service officer said in a tweet that “a written assurance from @JustinTrudeau to dismantle #Khalistan architecture including financial, and no overt or covert #Khalistani activities will be allowed from Canadian soil” ought to be considered as a precondition for supplying the vaccines.
Sir @narendramodi as a precondition to supply of Covid Vaccine, pl consider getting a written assurance from @JustinTrudeau to dismantle #Khalistan architecture including financial, and no overt or covert #Khalistani activities will be allowed from Canadian soil.@DrSJaishankar https://t.co/a8GGrgaFdA
— M. Nageswara Rao IPS(R) (@MNageswarRaoIPS) February 10, 2021
India has certainly come a long way when we had to stand in line and beg for medicines. Also, Trudeau is under a lot of fire in Canada for his mishandling of the pandemic and the inability to produce a vaccine.
Times change. #India had to plead for smallpox and polio vaccines, and even needed charitable gifts of penicillian, for which Ministers had to demonstrate humiliating gratitude.
— Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) February 11, 2021
Marking this for PM @JustinTrudeau who called PM @narendramodi to seek #COVID19 vaccine for #Canada https://t.co/8vvytItG8P
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