NEW DELHI, March 14, 2020 (BSS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in a video conference with leaders of other SAARC nations tomorrow for “chalking out a strong strategy to fight novel Coronavirus that had already claimed 5,000 lives globally and infected more 1.34 lakh.
“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will interact with SAARC leaders tomorrow on March 15, 2020 at 1700 hrs, through video conference on measures to deal with COVID-19,” an official handout issued here this evening said.
It added, “He (Modi) will lead India at the video conference of all SAARC nations to chalk out a strong common strategy to fight COVID-19 in the region”.
The video conference is going to be held at the backdrop of a tweet by Prime Minister Modi in which he proposed that the leadership of SAARC nations “chalk out a strong strategy to fight Coronavirus”.
“We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy,” he tweeted on Friday.
All member states of SAARC including Bangladesh have endorsed the proposal hours after PM Modi’s tweet.
Modi said, “Together, we can set an example to the world, and contribute to a healthier planet as our planet is battling the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus”.
“The South Asia, which is home to a significant number of the global population, should leave no stone unturned to ensure our people are healthy,” he added.
Pakistan announced shortly after midnight on Friday that Zafar Mirza, the special adviser on health to Prime Minister Imran Khan, would join the video conference, media report said.
Pakistan foreign Affairs spokesperson tweeted early this morning to acknowledge the need for “coordinated efforts al global and regional levels” to fight the novel coronavirus “pandemic”.
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are members of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
However, a total of 80 conronavirus confirmed cases are reported in India so far. Two people died with coronavirus infection.
The COVID-19 outbreak began in a market in China’s Wuhan district in December last year where 3,176 people have died.