There were growing demands by a number of countries including the US and Australia to investigate whether the virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 from an animal source or from a laboratory accident in December 2019.

India Friday supported renewed global calls for a comprehensive investigation by the World Health Organisation into the origins of Covid-19, after President Joe Biden asked US intelligence agencies to find out how the coronavirus emerged in China.

There were growing demands by a number of countries including the US and Australia to investigate whether the virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 from an animal source or from a laboratory accident in December 2019.

In March, the WHO came out with a report on the origins of the virus but it had failed to meet the expectations of the US and other countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the “follow up of the WHO report and further studies deserve the understanding and cooperation of all”.

“The WHO convened global study on the origin of Covid-19 is an important first step. It stressed the need for next phase studies as also for further data and studies to reach robust conclusions,” he said on Friday.

This is the second time India has responded with a statement — its first statement was on April 1 — when it had said that it joined other stakeholders in voicing their expectations that follow up to the WHO Report or further studies “will receive the fullest cooperation of all concerned”.

During the probe by the WHO earlier this year, the US and several other countries expressed concerns over Chinese authorities not providing complete data to the WHO team probing the origin of the virus.

President Biden had on Wednesday ordered the US intelligence agencies to “redouble” their efforts in investigating the emergence of the pandemic and report to him in 90 days.

Source: The Indian Express