indica News Bureau-
President Donald Trump has announced that the US will donate ventilators to India, moments after he underlined the close partnership between the two countries and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his “good friend”.
White House said Donald Trump spoke with PM Modi on Tuesday and “the two leaders discussed the G-7 (summit), the COVID-19 response, and regional security issues.”
“The president was happy to announce that the United States would be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week,” it said in a readout of the call.
The richness and depth of India-US consultations will remain an important pillar of the post-COVID global architecture,” PM Modi tweeted.
With India’s tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases over 2,08,000 as of June 3, any assistance to the healthcare industry is welcome.
At Trump’s request, India had last month allowed the export of 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 patients in America, the country worst hit by the pandemic.
Trump on Friday said the US and India are cooperating to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
“Together we will beat the invisible enemy! We stand with India and Prime Minister Mod Modi during this pandemic,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House.
He also recognized Indian-Americans as “great” scientists and researchers, who are contributing in the development of coronavirus vaccine.
