US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has spoken over phone with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during which she appreciated India’s role as a critical partner in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed the global economic outlook. This was Yellen’s first call with Sitharaman after she became the first female Treasury Secretary of the United States in January this year.

During the call, she “conveyed her intention to collaborate closely to support a strong global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, fight inequality, and advance a bold climate agenda,” the Department of Treasury said in a readout of the call on Monday.

Yellen appreciated India’s role as a critical partner in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. “The Secretary looks forward to cooperating with Minister Sitharaman, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to address shared priorities, it said.

“Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman had a fruitful discussion on global economic outlook with US Secretary of Treasury @JanetYellen virtually. Dr. Yellen appreciated India’s contribution to the world’s vaccine efforts,” Ministry of Finance said in a tweet. Sitharaman congratulated Yellen on the well thought out COVID-19 relief through the USD 1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, with particular focus on working and middle-class. They agreed to work closely through common economic and strategic collaboration in various multilateral fora, including the G20, it said.

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