New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Thursday that ‘very fast’ movement was being made on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposals put forward during a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations’ video-conference on coronavirus, with the emergency fund to combat the pandemic in the region already operationalised.
The SAARC nations vowed Sunday to jointly combat the coronavirus as Modi proposed an emergency fund with an initial offer of USD 10 million from India.
The prime minister made a series of suggestions that were hailed by the SAARC leaders and representatives.
“I can announce that we are moving very fast on most of those proposals and announcements. On the emergency fund, it is already up and running. We have received many requests from other SAARC countries for assistance in the form of masks, shoe covers, gloves, disinfectants and other items,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
“The quantum of assistance, which has been requested (from India) so far, has crossed USD 1 million. Supplies to Bhutan and the Maldives have been dispatched. Requests from other SAARC countries are under various stages of process,” Kumar added.
During the video conference, Modi had also said India was assembling a rapid response team of doctors and specialists, along with testing kits and other equipment. They will be on stand-by, to be placed at the SAARC leaders’ disposals, if required, he had told the participants.
On the rapid response team, Kumar said India had received informal requests from the Maldives and Nepal and those were being followed up. He said in line with the prime minister’s proposal of sharing of best practices, a video conference was being scheduled in the next few days of health professionals of SAARC countries.
Apart from Modi, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Bhutanese premier Lotay Tshering, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Special Assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza had participated in the video conference.
PTI