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NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for a global initiative for debt relief to developing countries.
In a virtual news briefing, UN chief’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said, “The prime minister’s initiative is in the same spirit as the secretary-general’s own position.”
The spokesperson said, “Mr. Guterres believes that debt relief must be an important part of the response to coronavirus, including immediate waivers on interest payments for 2020.”
He further said, “It’s important that the limited resources of the world’s poorest countries be used to combat the COVID-19 virus,” adding, “The secretary-general has made this clear publicly and privately, including in his discussions with the G20.”
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the heads of financial institutions, world leaders and UN-secretary general to provide debt relief to the developing countries so that they could combat coronavirus in a better way.
The prime minister also highlighted the difficulties being faced by the developing countries in handling the ongoing coronavirus situation.
PM Imran said that the biggest challenge for developing nations was to save their people from dying of the pandemic and hunger due to extended lockdowns.
