US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and discussed a wide range of issues.

After speaking with Blinken , Deuba while taking the twitter said, it was my pleasure to talk to @SecBlinken and exchange views on our multifaceted bilateral relations.

We renewed the shared commitment to taking forward the cooperative partnership in the interest of our two countries and peoples, said Deuba.

“I had the pleasure to speak with Nepali Prime Minister Deuba today,” Blinken tweeted on Tuesday evening, “We discussed the advancement of the U.S.-Nepal partnership including cooperation on our shared fight against COVID-19 and the effects of climate change.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later in a statement said that bilateral relations and cooperation, including the priority issues of the day, such as Covid-19 vaccine cooperation and assistance of medical equipment and supplies to Nepal were discussed during the conversation.

“The prime minister expressed appreciation to the US government for the assistance of 1.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine and requested the US government for further assistance of appropriate vaccines to cover the children and younger population in order to better prepare for the prevention of widely speculated third wave of the pandemic,” read the statement. “The prime minister thanked the US government for continued cooperation in the socio-economic development of Nepal. The conversation also covered various areas of Nepal’s development priorities, the United States’ cooperation and the MCC.”

According to the ministry, the two sides also discussed the issue of global warming and climate change and its impact on the economies of climate vulnerable mountainous countries like Nepal.

“Prime Minister Deuba, during the conversation, underlined Nepal’s democratic credentials and the commitment to human rights and the rule of law,” the statement added.

Blinken arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit on Tuesday to discuss US-India cooperation in various sectors and will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar among others.

According to a short read out by the State Department, Blinken also discussed the recent U.S. donation of 1.5 million vaccines and other Covid-19 assistance to Nepal.

The US has provided 1.5 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Nepal on July 19 under the COVAX facility.

Nepal is also looking for more Covid-19 vaccines from US manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna and officials said that talks are going on with the US companies and they are in advanced stages and nearing agreements.

According to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, the US government has contributed

over $55 million worth of technical assistance and in equipment to Nepal during the Covid-19 pandemic. The assistance technical support for testing, contact tracing, treatment, lab strengthening, infection prevention, monitoring points of entry and as well as for commodities including oxygen cylinders, breathing devices, test kits, personal protective equipment, ventilators and breathing equipment such as BiPAP and CPAP machines and monitors.