February 23, 2021: After India and China completed their disengagement process in one part of border territory in Leh Ladakh, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the United States welcomes the ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation and will continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution.

At a press briefing, Price said, "We are closely following reports of troop disengagement and we welcome the ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation. We will continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution."

When asked about India and US coordination on COVID-19 vaccines, Price said, "India and US build on decades of successful partnership and health and by the medical research, we are partnering to strengthen the global response to COVID-19."

"US and India recently welcomed an initiative to collaborate through an international center of excellence in research focused on infectious disease including Covid and we look forward to an overarching memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance health cooperation," he said.

Price further said that US and India are working together on developing diagnostics therapeutics vaccines to combat the disease and to recognise the importance of manufacturing critical drugs during this time and making them accessible globally.

"India's pharmaceutical sector is strong and well-established and has long played a central role in manufacturing life-saving vaccines for global use. We are pleased that the US pharmaceutical industry has been coordinating with the Indian pharma industry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.