Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate at Quad leaders meeting, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday, adding that the proposal was "well-received" by all leaders of Quad nations.

"PM Narendra Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID19 vaccination certificate. It was well-received by all Quad leaders," Shringla said, speaking at a special briefing.

Prime Minister Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the US, held his maiden bilateral meeting with US President Biden and attended the Quad leaders Summit.

Prime Minister Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday held the Quad leaders' meeting. It was hosted by the US leader.

In his opening remarks at the Quad summit, Prime Minister Modi said that that the Quad vaccine initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations as the world is battling with COVID-19.

Prime Minister said that the world is battling with COVID-19 and the Quad members again came together in the interest of humanity.

In March, the India-US-Japan-Australia Quadrilateral initiative, or Quad decided to build a first-of-its-kind joint vaccine supply chain to address the current and any future pandemic situations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Vaccines will be developed in the US, manufactured in India, financed by Japan and the US, and supported by Australia through logistics for the Indo-Pacific including island states.

"Our Quad vaccine initiative will help Indo-Pacific nations. Quad decided to go ahead with a positive approach on basis of our shared democratic values. I would be happy to discuss with my friends-be it supply chain, global security, climate action, COVID response or tech cooperation," PM Modi said at Quad Leaders' Summit.

"I express my gratitude to President Joe Biden for the first in-person Quad meeting. Four countries, for the first time, came together to help the Indo-Pacific region after the 2004 Tsunami. Today when the world is battling with COVID-19, we being the Quad members are again came together in the interest of humanity," he added.

 

This article was first published in ANI