Coronavirus outbreak: FM Qureshi telephones Qatari counterpart

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with Qatari counterpart Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani today (Thursday) and discussed the ongoing situation of coronavirus.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, FM Qureshi said that Pakistan was deploying all available resources to curtail the outbreak of coronavirus and reduce its impact.

FM Qureshi appreciated Qatar for its timely measures taken against the spread of coronavirus. He also appreciated the role played by the State of Qatar in facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister apprised his Qatari counterpart about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for debt relief and restructuring to enable developing countries to combat the disease and shore up economies.

Referring to Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK), FM Qureshi also expressed deep concern over the situation in IoK, where the coronavirus has spread and fatalities are being reported.

The Foreign Minister also called for an immediate lifting of all restrictions to allow the dissemination of information and unfettered supply of medicines and other essentials.

The Qatari counterpart underscored the importance of learning from the experience of the countries which have managed to control the disease successfully.

He described Pakistan’s call for debt restructuring for developing countries as an important and timely initiative and stated that Qatar is 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.