By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
Underscoring that the Pandemic was the gravest challenge to confront humanity this century, the Foreign Minister offered condolences over loss of precious lives, and commended the effective measures being taken by Japan to contain the outbreak. The Foreign Minister thanked Japan for its assistance to Pakistan to combat the pandemic, as well as in dealing with the desert locust attack. While conveying his confidence that Pakistanis in Japan will be looked after, he assured Foreign Minister Motegi of all possible facilitation of Japanese nationals in Pakistan.
The two Ministers exchanged views about the socio-economic ramifications of the pandemic. Highlighting that the developing countries had to fight on two fronts, i.e.s, containing the virus, and staving off starvation, the Foreign Minister briefed Foreign Minister Motegi about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries.
The Foreign Minister underscored that without immediate, coordinated and comprehensive actions to create fiscal space, the developing world may have to contend with dire social, political and economic consequences.
