Trinidad and Tobago began talks with China’s president Xi Jinpin on Tuesday as the country looks to procure COVID-19 vaccines from it.

The bilateral

talks, held via teleconference, were described as “productive” with the Chinese

president using the occasion to reiterate its commitment to assisting the

twin-island republic in its COVID-19 fight.

According to

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, Dr Amery Browne, who also participated in

the teleconference, there

was conversation on the possibility of Trinidad acquiring China’s Sinopharm

vaccines for use, in addition to discussion on bilateral cooperation

more broadly.

“This morning’s

discussions were enhanced by our strong history of good relations with the People’s

Republic of China and further enhanced by the friendship enjoyed by the two

heads of government over the years,”

said Browne

“Prime Minister

Rowley reaffirmed the critical importance of equitable access to approved

COVID-19 vaccines for the people of our nation and region, and across the globe, and noted that the Sinopharm vaccine is

currently being considered for approval listing by the World Health

Organization,” Browne added.

Minister of Health

Terrence Deyalsingh noted that while only WHO-approved vaccines will be

administered to citizens, he said the country could acquire the Chinese

vaccines before the approval, which

would mitigate against some supply challenges.

“We have precedent

in Trinidad and Tobago by bringing vaccines into the country and waiting for

WHO approval as we did with the gift from Barbados. That came into the country around the 12th or

13th, they were here. We

took a position; we were not going to administer it until we got WHO approval,

we got WHO approval on Monday the 15th and we started to administer on

Wednesday the 17,” Deyalsingh

explained.

We will do the same thing with any

other vaccine that stands a very good chance of being WHO-approved,” Deyalsingh

added.