FM calls Irish counterpart to discuss virus

By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ireland Simon Coveney on a range of issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic situation, cooperation at the multilateral fora, and the prospects for enhanced bilateral cooperation.
The foreign minister briefed his Irish counterpart about the latest situation of the pandemic in Pakistan and steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to contain its spread. The two foreign ministers also agreed that working together was the best way forward to fight the pandemic. “Underscoring that the pandemic was the gravest challenge to confront humanity in a century, the foreign minister offered condolences over loss of precious lives, and commended the effective measures being taken by Ireland to contain the outbreak,” the FO spokesperson in a press release on Monday said.
While elaborating upon PM’s call for “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries, Foreign Minister Qureshi underlined the need for closer cooperation to mitigate the impact of the economic slowdown and devote more resources to manage the ongoing crisis.