Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to host the SAARC health ministers’ meeting and suggested that due to the prevailing global health emergency, a videoconference could be organised.
In a telephonic conversation with Secretary General SAARC Esala Ruwan Weerakoon on Thursday, he said being a founding member, Pakistan remains committed to the SAARC process and considers it an important platform for regional cooperation.
Congratulating Weerakoon on assuming responsibilities as the 14th Secretary General of SAARC, the Foreign Minister assured him of Pakistan’s full support and expressed the hope that under his experienced stewardship, the SAARC process would be able to move forward.
The foreign minister and the secretary general discussed the challenges faced by South Asian States in the face of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The need for joint efforts to deal with the situation was emphasized by both sides.
The foreign minister also reiterated that the proposed SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund may be placed under the supervision of secretary general of SAARC and that the modalities for the Fund’s utilization be finalized through consultations among Member States.
Dilating upon the economic impact of COVID-19 on the developing world, Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for debt restructuring of the developing countries to enable them to dedicate resources towards saving human lives and shoring up economies.
Foreign Minister Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to work closely with the SAARC Secretariat and SAARC member states to realize the common goal of accelerating economic growth and promoting the welfare of the people of South Asia.
Secretary General SAARC appreciated Pakistan’s proposal of Health Minister’s video conference.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday held a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed the situation resulting from the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Pakistan was deploying all available resources to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and reduce its impact.
He appreciated the timely measures taken by the Qatari government which had helped contain the disease in Qatar.
The foreign minister apprised his Qatari counterpart about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for debt relief and restructuring to enable the developing countries to free up resources to combat the disease and shore up economies.
Qureshi also appreciated the role played by the State of Qatar in facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan.
The foreign minister expressed deep concern over the situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K), where the coronavirus had spread and fatalities were being reported.
Continued restrictions on movement and communication were imperiling the health and safety of eight million Kashmiris, he added.
He called for immediate lifting of all restrictions to allow dissemination of information and unfettered supply of medicines, and other essentials.
The foreign minister also called for immediate release of all Kashmiri leaders, youth and civil society members, who had been languishing in Indian jails and were at heightened risk of contracting the infection.
The Qatari foreign minister thanked Shah Mahmood Qureshi for his call and highlighted the steps being taken by Qatar to contain the pandemic.
He underscored the importance of learning from the experience of the countries which had managed to control the disease successfully.
Al Thani described Pakistan’s call for debt restructuring for developing countries as an important and timely initiative and stated that Qatar was supportive of it.
The two ministers underscored the need for joint efforts to deal with the current challenges and agreed to stay closely engaged on all issues of common interest.
