Day after attending India-led COVID workshop, Pak says committed to regional cooperation to meet transnational challenges

Pakistan is committed to regional cooperation to meet transnational challenges, said Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister, Faisal Sultan, a day after attending an India-led workshop on COVID-19 management.

Taking to Twitter, Sultan said he participated in the workshop held on Thursday during which the participating countries shared their best practices and learned about regional best practices.

"Pakistan took part the in the SAARC wkshp on COVID-19 experiences. The region has fared better than many. We shared our best practices and learned abt regional best practices. We are committed to regional cooperation to meet transnational challenges," Faisal Sultan tweeted.

Representatives from countries including Afghstan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka attended 'COVID-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward' workshop.

Speaking during the workshop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the greater integration between South Asian and Indian Ocean Island countries following the pandemic.

He also put forth several suggestions including making a regional air ambulance agreement among neighbouring countries for "medical contingencies" and a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses to facilitate their travel within the region during health emergencies at the request of the receiving country.

In his third proposal, PM Modi also called for creating a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines among the people of the region.

"Can we similarly create a regional network for promoting technology-driven epidemiology, for preventing future pandemics," he asked the participating officials.

Beyond Covid-19, in what was his fifth proposal, Modi said India was also willing to share its successful public health policies and schemes.

The neighbouring countries of India, including Pakistan, supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five proposals on the management of COVID-19.

According to sources, the proposals suggested by the Prime Minister were supported by all countries including Pakistan.

The countries proposed a structured discussion for regional cooperation on these proposals to take them forward, they further said.

All countries agreed that there was a need for such cooperation on a regional basis for fighting such pandemics.

During the workshop, the experts and officials of 10 countries, except Pakistan as it has not received vaccines, thanked India and Prime Minister Modi for assistance in coronavirus vaccines and other medicines, equipment and training, the sources informed.

( With inputs from ANI )