ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday said the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was well equipped to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi participated in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers video-conference convened by the Russian Federation in its capacity as current chair of SCO.
In his remarks, the Foreign Minister opined that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a challenge of unprecedented scale and magnitude to humanity that necessitated coordinated responses. The crisis was a litmus test for multilateralism, and the SCO was well equipped to tackle it.
He specifically praised China’s responsible handling of the crisis and its leading role in assisting the international community. He also expressed gratitude for China’s assistance to Pakistan.
Besides Pakistan, the meeting was attended by foreign ministers of all member states, the secretary general SCO, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-terrorist Structure.
Apart from the prevailing pandemic situation, matters relating to peace and security in the region including Afghanistan came under discussion.
The foreign minister briefed the SCO foreign ministers on Pakistan’s coordinated response to COVID-19 covering the public health as well as the economic aspects of the crisis.
He observed that even though infections were spreading, Pakistan had seen relatively low fatalities. However, he added there was no room to let our guard down.
Highlighting the socio-economic repercussions of the health crisis, Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored the salience of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries as a means to formulate a comprehensive multi-stakeholder plan of action to shore up economies and promote sustainable growth.
The foreign minister made a number of proposals to strengthen coordination among SCO States against the pandemic, including regular interaction among Ministries of Health; joint research mechanisms; and strengthening of SCO Hospital Alliance.
Commenting on the regional situation, the Foreign Minister welcomed the US-Taliban peace agreement and hoped that the Afghan leadership would seize the historic opportunity to work out a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that tackling terrorism and extremism must continue to be a priority but terrorism related allegations must not be used as political tool to malign and victimize any country or religion.
