ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that China will provide 500,000 free doses of the COVID vaccine to Pakistan by the end of January 2021 as a goodwill gesture.
In his media briefing in Islamabad on Tuesday, Qureshi told that he had a telephonic conversation with his Chinese Counterpart Wang Yi and China has assured us that it will provide 500,000 (half million) doses of COVID vaccine to Pakistan by January 31.
Qureshi said that China is providing the first shipment of Coronavirus vaccine of half a million doses to Pakistan without any charge and it will be a grant and free of cost.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he told the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Pakistan requires 1.1 million doses of the vaccine in view of its large population. He said that the Chinese side also promised to make available the required quantity of the medicine.
The foreign minister said that the remaining doses of vaccines from China will arrive in Pakistan in February 2021.
In addition, he said that China has also agreed to manufacture the COVID vaccine in Pakistan.
Always great to speak to my friend, His Excellency FM Wang Yi. With encouraging results of Chinese vaccine and our historic relationship, Pakistan has approved emergency use authorisation of SinoPharm. Indeed 🇵🇰 greatly appreciates the 500,000 doses of the vaccine gifted by 🇨🇳.
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) January 21, 2021
China has played an instrumental role in Pakistan’s fight against #COVID19 with technical assistance and medical expertise.
🇵🇰 🇨🇳 #IronBrothers https://t.co/UsKaxJitBE— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) January 21, 2021
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin Ul Haq held a meeting with the Chinese Vice Minister for Asian Affairs Luo Zhaohui in Beijing today and discussed further strengthening of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the year 2021.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in Pak-China bilateral relations in 2020 despite difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also agreed to strengthen communication on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track post-pandemic economic recovery.
