FM urges commonwealth states to boost cooperation to fight coronavirus

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday urged the commonwealth countries to utilize commonalities in legal and administrative systems to overcome protectionism and maintain free trade.

In his virtual address to the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting today, FM Qureshi called for launching dialogue for deeper and more sustained debt relief for stronger and more sustained economic recovery.

He highlighted the challenges posed by covid-19 and emphasized the need for greater cooperation to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign minister emphasized on lending weight to calls by Prime Minister Imran Khan and other world leaders for a “people’s vaccine” for the treatment of COVID-19 pandemic. He said there should be a regime in which all treatments and diagnoses are made, patent-free, mass-produced, and available to all countries and people free of cost.

The foreign minister said it is a matter of concern that the world over, the Pandemic has been accompanied by a spike in intolerance, violence and racial discrimination. This is manifested in various forms of hate speech, xenophobia, Islamophobia and supremacist ideologies. He said core principles of rule of law, fundamental freedoms and multilateralism are in danger.

Without naming India, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said a South Asian state is targeting specific religious and ethnic groups in order to foment division and hatred among communities. It has usurped the rights and freedoms of millions, fanned hyper-nationalism, engineered illegal demographic change in disputed territories, and stoked regional tensions. He, however, welcomed Commonwealth Statement on racism.

Talking about the negative impact of Climate Change, Shah Mahmood Qureshi emphasized on developed countries to fulfill their pledge to mobilize 100 billion dollars annually for climate action.

He said despite Pakistan’s limited contribution to global green house gas emissions; it is among the most climate-vulnerable countries. The minister said Pakistan has also joined the commonwealth blue charter action group on “Mangrove Ecosystems and Livelihoods”.

He said we are fully committed to play our role in addressing the issue of climate change and making a shift towards a “clean and green” Pakistan.

FM Qureshi said that we have launched an “Eco-System Restoration Initiative” at national level. The Initiative, among other activities, aims at planting 10 Billion Trees throughout Pakistan in the coming three years.

He said, “Our first electric vehicle (EV) policy aims at replacing 30 percent of the road vehicles with electric vehicles by 2030.”