Nepal PM emphasises importance of maintaining supply lines amid Covid-19
Nepal is among the neighbouring countries to which India is providing medical supplies, including the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, to fight Covid-19.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday stressed the importance of maintaining cross-border supply lines amid the Covid-19-related lockdown during a telephone conversation with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
The two leaders exchanged views on the Covid-19 crisis and the challenges it poses to the health and safety of citizens of both countries and the region. They also discussed steps taken in their countries to tackle the pandemic.
Oli tweeted that he had emphasised the need to provide good care to citizens of both countries who have been stranded in each other’s territory because of the lockdown. He said the two sides also discussed the issue of keeping supply lines intact and further improving them.
Nepal is largely dependent on India for supplies of essential goods, medicines and fuel. The movement of goods across the border is continuing through designated checkpoints, though the movement of people has been stopped. Thousands of citizens of both countries have been stranded because of the lockdown, many of them along the border.
Oli also thanked Modi for the assistance provided by India to Nepal, including medical supplies.
Nepal is among the neighbouring countries to which India is providing medical supplies, including the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, to fight Covid-19.
Modi appreciated the response and management of the crisis by the Nepal government under Oli’s leadership, while Oli reiterated his appreciation for Modi’s initiative in coordinating the response among members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), according to a readout from the external affairs ministry.
Modi reiterated India’s commitment for providing all possible support and assistance for Nepal’s efforts to counter the pandemic. The two leaders agreed their experts and officials will continue to closely consult and coordinate with each other on all issues related to the Covid-19 crisis, including facilitating cross-border supplies of essential commodities.
The Indian prime minister also spoke on telephone with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Friday and discussed global health and economic challenges caused by the pandemic. They expressed appreciation for the support and facilitation provided during the crisis to each other’s citizens, and agreed to continue such coordination.
Modi and Abe also agreed the India-Japan partnership can play a critical role in helping the world find solutions to challenges arising from the pandemic.
Modi also had a telephone conversation with Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday. He assured Museveni that India “stands in solidarity with its friends in Africa” during the crisis, and will extend all possible support to Uganda’s efforts to control the spread of the virus.
“Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the goodwill and care extended to the Indian diaspora in Uganda by the host government and society, including during the present situation,” said a statement from the external affairs ministry.