The COVID-19 vaccines that India has granted to Nepal and Bangladesh arrived in Kathmandu and Dhaka respectively on Thursday.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal handed over the vaccines to Health Minister Hridesh Tripathi at a function held at the Kathmandu airport.

The Air India charter flight 1232 from Mumbai carrying the consignment landed at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11.20 a.m. on Thursday.

In a tweet, Indian Minister of External Affars S Jaishankar said: "Touchdown in Dhaka.
#VaccineMaitri reaffirms the highest priority accorded by India to relations with Bangladesh."
The vaccines which came as a gift will be handed over at a formal ceremony at State Guesthouse Padma on Thursday afternoon.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Health Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami and other high government officials will be in attendance.

In a tweet, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: "Nepal receives Indian vaccines. Putting neighbours first, putting people first! #VaccineMaitri."

India's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative will provided vaccines to its neighbouring countries.

As part of the programme, India had sent the Covid-19 vaccines to Bhutan and Maldives on Wednesday.