"Not Looking At It In Policy Terms": Centre On Foreign Aid To India Amid Covid

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's response came to questions on whether there was a shift in India's policy of not accepting foreign aid that was enunciated after the 2004 tsunami.

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an unprecedented situation and India is not looking at medical supplies and assistance by its partners and friends in terms of any policy framework, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday. At a media briefing, he said India had supplied essential pharmaceutical products including hydroxychloroquine, paracetamol and even Remdesivir to geographies across the globe in view of the pandemic and the countries have now come forward to help India. His response came to questions on whether there was a shift in India's policy of not accepting foreign aid that was enunciated after the 2004 tsunami. "We have given assistance; we are getting assistance. It shows an interdependent world. It shows a world that is working with each other," Mr Shringla said.