DELHI STANDS BY MOSCOW AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC OUTBREAK, TO SUPPLY CRUCIAL DRUGS

By Vinay Shukla

 

New Delhi, April 18 (DishaMoscow) — In the spirit of bilateral Privileged Strategic Partnership, Delhi is standing by its time-tested friend Russia and is to supply crucial drugs to Moscow amid COVID-19 outbreak, described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the gravest crisis faced by the humanity since World War-II.

 

First batch of paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) drugs to Russia are expected to be delivered latest by early May.

 

Moscow is pleased and grateful for the decision of the Indian authorities to provide Russia with medicines to combat the coronavirus is in line with the spirit of partnership between the two countries, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday.

 

«Moscow is pleased with the Indian government’s decision to send a shipment of medicines to combat the coronavirus to Russia and is grateful for it. We consider our Indian colleagues’ decision to be an effective step in implementing the agreements on cooperation in the combating the new Coronavirus infection that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached in a telephone call on March 25,» Mr Peskov added.

 

«Moscow understands perfectly well that India, which is also facing tough times due to the pandemic threat, has made this decision rooted in the spirit of partnership between the two countries,» the Russian presidential spokesman underscored.

 

Russian Ambassador to India Mr Nikolai Kudashev told reporters in New Delhi that India would provide Russia with medicines for the treatment of coronavirus patients. According to him, the shipment will particularly include paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ).

 

«Despite the fact that India itself needs it, the Indian side has gone ahead with the request of the Russian side and licensed deliveries to the Russian Federation up to 100 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine,» ambassador Kudashev said. The deliveries of Indian drugs to Russia will commence latest by the first week of May.

 

The Ambassador Kudashev stressed that such a decision is definitely the friendly thing to do. It shows a deep level of trust between the two countries.

 

Earlier, the Russian Health Ministry has already issued guidelines on the use of HCQ drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

 

It is noteworthy, that Russia’s main arms exporter Rosoboronexport has also donated USD 2 Million to PM CARES relief fund for fighting COVID-19 pandemic in India.