Colombo: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday received 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine donated by India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
India last week announced that it will send COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Sri Lanka and seven other countries — Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles, Afghanistan and Mauritius.
Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives have already received India’s COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance in sync with its Neighbourhood First policy.
President Rajapaksa was at the Colombo international airport to receive the consignment of free Indian COVID-19 vaccines which arrived on a special Air India flight.
The consignment was packed in 42 boxes.
Rajapaksa was joined at the airport by the Indian envoy in Colombo Gopal Baglay.
“The arrival of 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccines happens on blessed Poya Day, which marks the 1st visit of the Buddha to Lanka. High Commissioner…