India For Comprehensive, Expert-Led Mechanism To Investigate COVID Origin

The External Affairs spokesperson said WHO's report represents an important first step in establishing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

India on Thursday said it shares the need for a comprehensive and expert-led mechanism to expeditiously investigate the origin of the coronavirus, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with a report on it. WHO officials said data was withheld from its investigators, who travelled to China to study the origin of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19. "We share the need for a comprehensive and expert-led mechanism that would expeditiously investigate the origin of COVID-19 in cooperation with all stakeholders," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. He was replying to media queries on the issue. Arindam Bagchi said the WHO report represents an important first step in establishing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.