Published 16:24 IST, March 13th 2020
Sri Lankan President accepts PM Modi's proposal to SAARC nations on coronavirus crisis
Sri Lankan President Gotapbaya Rajapaksa accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal to SAARC members to formulate a “strong strategy” to fight COVID-19.
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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal to the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to formulate a “strong strategy” in order to fight the novel coronavirus. Rajapaksa took to Twitter to thank PM Modi for the “great initiative” and urged everyone to united in solidarity in the face of a global pandemic.
Thank you for the great initiative Shri @narendramodi - #LKA is ready to join the discussion & share our learnings & best practices and to learn from other #SAARC members. Let’s unite in solidarity during these trying times and keep our citizens safe. https://t.co/fAiT5w3O8D
— Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) March 13, 2020
Earlier, PM Modi had proposed that the SAARC countries could discuss the ways, via video conferencing, to keep citizens healthy. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister urged South Asian nations to leave “no stone unturned” in the fight against the deadly virus ensuring the wellness of citizens.
Our planet is battling the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. At various levels, governments and people are trying their best to combat it.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2020
South Asia, which is home to a significant number of the global population should leave no stone unturned to ensure our people are healthy.
Other members welcome proposal
Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives also joined the bandwagon to welcome PM Modi’s proposal and urged other SAARC members to coordinate in this fight. Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked Prime Minister for taking the initiative. PM Modi’s proposal and quick response from SAARC members could revive the regional intergovernmental organisation which has been dormant since the relationship between India and Pakistan hit the nadir.
This is what we call leadership. As members of this region, we must come together in such times. Smaller economies are hit harder, so we must coordinate. With your leadership, I have no doubt we will see immediate and impactful outcome. Looking forward to the video conference. https://t.co/2RnokAJQOs
— PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) March 13, 2020
16:24 IST, March 13th 2020