Pakistan committed to further strengthening ties with Maldives: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of Maldives, on Monday. The two leaders exchanged views in detail on the challenges posed by Covid-19. Prime Minister Imran Khan commended the efforts made by Maldives to contain the spread of the pandemic and efforts to revive the economy, including the tourism sector. Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to work with Maldives to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, bilaterally and in the region. The prime minister reiterated his invitation to President Ibrahim Solih to visit Pakistan and stated that he looked forward to welcoming him at the earliest convenience. "Pakistan accords high importance to its fraternal ties with Maldives, a fellow SAARC member state, and is committed to further strengthening them in all fields," he said. The prime minister briefed the Maldivian president about the latest situation in Pakistan and the steps taken by the government to contain Covid-19, with a focus on saving lives, securing livelihoods, and stimulating the economy. He added that the ‘smart lockdown’ strategy had worked successfully and that major sectors of the economy were being gradually opened up. Imran Khan also apprised the President about his “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries to mitigate the severe socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The prime minister underscored that developing countries were particularly vulnerable due to limited fiscal space and health sector infrastructure constraints and, therefore, required special measures. He shared Pakistan’s perspective on peace and security situation in South Asia, underlining that the region needed peace and cooperation so that the South Asian nations could realize their true economic potential.