ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab on Saturday to discuss matters related to the global outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and prospects of enhanced bilateral cooperation to jointly tackle the pandemic.
The foreign minister conveyed deep condolences over the tragic loss of innocent lives in the United Kingdom due to COVID-19.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi lauded the steps being taken by the UK authorities to combat the infectious virus and thanked British authorities for taking care of the Pakistani community in the UK. He informed the British foreign secretary about the latest situation of the outbreak in Pakistan and the steps taken by the government for its containment.
The foreign minister underscored that the pandemic was one of the greatest challenges to confront humanity in the century.
In addition, Qureshi expressed concerns over the continuing communication blackout in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir which was depriving eight million Kashmiris of critical information and essential medical supplies needed to effectively contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also reiterated the need to lift sanctions against Iran, enabling it to utilize its resources to save precious human lives.
The foreign minister highlighted that debt relief for developing countries like Pakistan would enable them to devote greater resources to fight COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its economic fallout.
The British foreign secretary thanked the foreign minister for the call and his expression of solidarity. He concurred that enhanced global cooperation is key to combat the pandemic.
The two sides agreed to work closely and to stay in contact for effective containment of the outbreak.
