At a time when India is supplying covid-19 vaccines to its neighbours, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain on Saturday expressed his gratitude to India for supplying medicines to France when the coronavirus was at its peak.

“During COVID-19, you (India) shipped medicines needed in French hospitals. We are very grateful for that again… Very clear statements were released by your government and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) when our values like secularism were under attack in my country,” Lenain said during the ongoing India-France bilateral exercise “Desert Knight 21”.

In the last few days, India has supplied COVID-19 vaccines made in the country, under the initiative of Vaccine Maitri programme, to neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Large consignments of Covishield vaccine were flown in a special Indian aircraft to Seychelles, Mauritius and Myanmar on Friday.

Further speaking on the bilateral ties, Emmanuel Lenain said, “India and France have been side-by-side in both good and bad times. When India decided to conduct a nuclear test in Pokhran, we were on your side as we understand your strategic autonomy.”

Source: The Geneva Daily

BDST: 1909 HRS, JAN 25, 2021
AP