COVID-19: Pakistan Foreign Minister thanks the UAE government for its support in combating coronavirus

Dubai: The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, thanked the government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its support for Pakistan in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

Qureshi also appreciated the UAE government for releasing around 400 Pakistani prisoners and their subsequent repatriation to Pakistan last week. The foreign minister's remarks came during a telephonic conversation with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Internatonal Cooperation, said a Pakistan Foreign office spokesperson in a press release on Monday.

While exchanging views on the global outbreak of COVID-19, the two foreign ministers agreed on the importance of enhanced bilateral cooperation to jointly address the challenges, reported APP.

Qureshi apprised his UAE counterpart about the latest situation of the outbreak in Pakistan and the steps being taken by the government for its containment. He also informed him about the efforts being made by the government for the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis from UAE to Pakistan. Qureshi also briefed shaikh Abdullah about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for a ‘global initiative for debt relief,’ underscoring the need to enable developing countries to save precious lives and shore up economies.

He said the recent G20 announcement on debt services suspension would help create fiscal space for developing countries.

Sheikh Abdullah also thanked Qureshi for his call and appreciated the response of the Pakistan government in tackling the pandemic. Sheikh Abdullah highlighted efforts of the UAE government in controlling the pandemic, including during the month of Ramadan. He also underscored that concrete steps would be required globally to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economies. The two ministers agreed to remain in contact for collaboration in an effort to contain the pandemic and other related matters.