Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau spoke to each other over telephone on Wednesday.
According to official statements from both sides, the discussion dealt with geo-political issues, global challenges like Climate Change and the economic impacts of the pandemic.
In a 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. We also agreed to continue collaborating on other important issues like Climate Change and the global economic recovery.”
According to the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, “Prime Minister Trudeau informed Prime Minister Modi about Canada’s requirements of COVID-19 vaccines from India.
PM Modi assured the Canadian PM that India would do its best to support Canada’s vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already.
“Expressing his appreciation, Prime Minister Trudeau said that if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significantly because of India’s tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in sharing this capacity with the world.PM Modi thanked PM Trudeau for his sentiments,” the statement said.
The two leaders also reiterated the common perspective shared by India and Canada on many important geo-political issues. They agreed to continue the close collaboration between both countries in fighting global challenges like Climate Change and the economic impacts of the pandemic.
The leaders looked forward to meeting each other in various important international fora later this year, and continuing their discussions on all issues of mutual interest.
A statement from Trudeau’s office said, “The two leaders had an exchange on their respective efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, protect the health and safety of their people, and provide economic support for their citizens. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Modi spoke about India’s significant efforts in promoting vaccine production and supply, which have provided vital support to countries around the world. The two leaders agreed to work together on access to vaccines. The leaders also recognized the need for continued global coordination to respond to the pandemic and to promote recovery.”
“The two Prime Minister’s discussed Canada and India’s commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue. They underlined the need to work collectively in rebuilding a more sustainable and resilient global economy,” the statement said.
