ISLAMABAD, April 2: Pakistan and Qatar Thursday discussed the issue of debt relief and restructuring of loans of developing and poor countries to enable these states to free up resources to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and shore up economies.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephone conversation with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed the situation resulting from the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ways to mitigate the crisis.
The foreign minister apprised his Qatari counterpart about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for debt relief and restructuring to enable the developing countries to free up resources to combat the disease and shore up economies.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan is deploying all available resources to curtail the spread of Covid-19 and reduce its impact.
Appreciating the timely measures taken by the Qatari government, he noted with satisfaction that these steps had helped contain the disease in Qatar.
He also appreciated the role played by the State of Qatar in facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan.
The foreign minister expressed deep concern over the situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where the coronavirus has spread and fatalities are being reported.
He called for immediate lifting of all restrictions to allow dissemination of information and unfettered supply of medicines, and other essentials.
The Qatari Deputy Prime Minister 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. -TLTP
