ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that China will send Pakistan more doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of this month as a gift.

According to Foreign Office, the Chinese foreign minister stated this during a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Monday.

During the conversation, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked Foreign Minister Yi for the good wishes extended by Chinese leadership through a letter for the speedy recovery of Prime Minister Imran Khan after he was tested positive for the coronavirus.

Qureshi also told his Chinese counterpart that the way China had helped the international community, especially Pakistan, after the global challenge of coronavirus “is exemplary”.

Qureshi said that Pakistan was taking all necessary measures including smart lockdown as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop the spread of the virus.

The foreign minister thanked the Chinese leadership and the Chinese foreign minister for sending the coronavirus vaccine as a gift to Pakistan.

The foreign minister apprised his Chinese counterpart of the status of coronavirus vaccination in Pakistan, and said that the government had formulated a comprehensive vaccination plan to protect Pakistani citizens from the coronavirus pandemic “for which we will soon need more doses of vaccine”.

The Chinese foreign minister announced that more vaccine doses would be sent to Pakistan by March 31st as a gift.

“The Chinese foreign minister said that more than 100 countries have approached China to get the coronavirus vaccine but we will maintain our ideal friendship with Pakistan and provide the required doses of vaccine on priority basis,” the Chinese foreign minister was quoted as having said in the Foreign Office statement.

Foreign Minister Qureshi extended thanks to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for this goodwill.

The two foreign ministers also discussed, in detail, the bilateral relations and the promotion of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The two foreign ministers agreed to continue high-level contacts between the two countries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021