ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held telephonic conversations with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzales Laya on Tuesday to discuss measures to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Foreign Office (FO), Qureshi, while expressing deep concern over the loss of precious lives, lauded the steps being taken by the French authorities to contain the virus, and thanked his counterpart for looking after 13 Pakistanis affected in France.
He also briefed the French FM about the measures underway in Pakistan to contain the outbreak. He told his French counterpart the number of coronavirus patients in Pakistan is increasing along with the rest of the world and the situation demands a coordinated approach by the international community to combat its spread.
Speaking about the situation in Iran, FM Qureshi underscored the need for immediate lifting of sanctions and extending humanitarian assistance to enable Iranian authorities to save precious human lives.
He also expressed deep concern over the continuing communication and movement lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) which was depriving eight million Kashmiris of critical information and essential medical supplies needed to effectively contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qureshi also expressed concern over the fragile state of financial systems of the developing world.
To allow developing countries to cope with the crisis, and mitigate the economic fallout, he underlined the Prime Minister’s call for debt restructuring, and sought France’s support and understanding, as an important member of the European Union (EU), the G-7 and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on these issues.
The French foreign minister agreed to Qureshi’s assessment of the situation in Iran and the need to provide debt relief to developing countries, and expressed his intention to raise the lifting of sanctions on Iran with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as providing debt relief to developing countries at the G-20.
Qureshi suggested that in view of the situation arising out of the COVID-19, the two sides may hold the next round of bilateral political consultations, which was scheduled on 26 March 2020, via video conference.
The French FM thanked his Pakistani counterpart for his expression of solidarity and concurred with the need for enhanced cooperation to tide over the crisis. The two ministers also agreed to stay in contact.
In his telephone conversation with his Spanish counterpart Arancha Gonzales Laya, Qureshi conveyed deep condolences over the loss of precious lives in Spain and commended the steps being taken by the Spanish authorities, and in particular, lauded the heroic sacrifices of the Spanish healthcare workers.
He also dilated upon the positive role of the 100,000 strong Pakistani community in Spain standing in solidarity with their Spanish compatriots during the unprecedented crisis.
Thanking Qureshi for the call, Foreign Minister Laya apprised him of the steps being taken by Spain to look after its citizens, including those of Pakistani origin. She appreciated the role being played by the Pakistani community in Spain.
She informed that the situation in Iran was discussed at the EU foreign ministers meeting held on 23 March and also mentioned that the issue of debt relief to developing countries could be taken up at appropriate fora.
The two ministers agreed that the best way to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic was to cooperate closely.
