Modi, Morrisson agree on India-Australia joint research to develop Covid-19 vaccine

India and Australia on Monday agreed on collaboration between researchers of the two nations to find an effective cure for the COVID-19 and to develop a vaccine to keep the virus away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison spoke to each other over the phone and discussed the COVID-19 pandemic. They briefed each other about the domestic response strategies being adopted by their respective Governments.

“They agreed on the importance of bilateral sharing of experiences in the context of the health crisis (COVID-19 pandemic), including through collaborative research efforts,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release issued in New Delhi after the talks between the two leaders.

Modi conveyed to Morrison that his government would always stand ready to provide necessary facilitation and support to any citizen of Australia stranded in India due to travel restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Morrison too assured Modi that the Indian students and other Indian nationals in Australia would continue to be valued as a vibrant part of the society in Australia.

“A warm discussion by phone today with my good friend Prime Minister @narendramodi on our responses to the #coronavirus crisis. We shared our experiences on managing the crisis and will continue to share knowledge on treatment for the virus and as we work towards a vaccine,” Australian Prime Minister posted on Twitter.

Morrison would have been the first foreign leader to visit New Delhi and meet Modi in 2020. But his visit – scheduled from January 13 to 16 – had to be indefinitely postponed as he had to cancel all foreign tours to remain in Canberra and oversee efforts to control a devastating bushfire in southeastern Australia.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown imposed to contain it making it difficult to reschedule Morrison’s visit to New Delhi, he and Modi on Monday agreed to hold a virtual summit soon through video-conferencing. “We agreed to schedule a virtual summit very soon, given we won’t be able to meet in person. We also discussed the important role being played by the Australian Indian community, particularly in supporting the vulnerable in our community and rallying around those in need,” tweeted Morrison.

The Prime Minister and the Australian Prime Minister agreed to “remain attentive to the wider significance of the India-Australia partnership, including in the Indo-Pacific region, even as they focus on solving the present health crisis”, according to the press-release issued by the Government of India in New Delhi.