The Ministry of External affairs announced on Friday that next week, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to the United States to discuss bilateral issues and “Covid-related cooperation.” In a visit scheduled from May 24-28, that is expected to boost the Indo-US relations, Mr. Jaishankar will travel to New York and Washington, and will meet with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The visit will have many issues to be covered and discussed between India, on one hand and US and UN on other hand.

In addition to his official meetings, EAM is also expected to meet with American vaccine manufacturers. Discussions between EAM and the vaccine manufacturers are expected to focus on commercial procurement of vaccine doses from both the industry including Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, as well as gifts of extra doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine that the U.S. government plans to share with other countries.

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As a part of vaccine diplomacy, India had supplied around 60 million doses of vaccines to around 70 countries, before the Second Wave of the Covid19 hit the nation, which is now reeling under vaccine deficiency with a medical infrastructure in shambles.

In his upcoming US visit, EAM Jaishankar would also meet with the business representatives of U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC).

In a statement, the MEA said, “The External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between India and the U.S.”

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In recent weeks, along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, both of the groups, USISPF & USIBC, have formed a “Global Task Force on Pandemic Response” to work on several aspects of pandemic relief. The work of the task force includes provision of 1,000 ventilators required by hospitals in India, 25,000 oxygen concentrators and coordination of human resources executives in India and the U.S. for the effort.

A round table meeting is expected to be organized between S Jaishankar and the CEOs of the vaccine manufacturing companies and other American pharmaceutical firms.

Apart from discussion on Covid19, EAM Jaishankar is expected to communicate that India still wants the U.S. to reconsider its export ban under the Defence Production Act (DPA) for vaccine ingredients (APIs), which Indian manufacturers need to ramp up production in the next few months.

This would be the first visit of S Jaishankar after Joe Biden took office as the President of the US. Earlier this month, EAM Jaishankar had met Antony Blinken in the G-7 ministerial meeting held at London.

EAM S Jaishankar would also meet the UN officials including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in his first visit since India assumed its two-year term at the Security Council this January. As the Chair of Taliban Sanctions Committee at the UNSC, India is expected to hold talks with UN on the Afghanistan peace process, and other issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, UN reforms, vaccine distribution and others.