• Foreign Minister contacts U.S. ambassador for assistance in securing vaccines 

By Kelum Bandara 

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said yesterday China agreed to supply a further contingent of its Covid-19 vaccines if Sri Lanka asked for them. 

The Minister said Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe gave this assurance during bilateral talks last week. China has already sent a dispatch of 600,000 doses of its Sinopharm vaccines.    The Minister told Daily Mirror that Sri Lanka could use them once the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed it for emergency use.    Besides, he said he sought vaccine cooperation with the United States.    “I contacted U.S. ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz and she confirmed that the request was forwarded to Washington,”  he said.

• The Foreign Minister said he sought vaccine cooperation with the United States