Addressed the #SAARC Foreign Ministers Informal Meeting today. Reaffirmed India’s commitment to Neighbourhood First policy and towards building a connected, integrated, secure and prosperous South Asia.
Highlighted India’s COVID Cooperation efforts:
• Committed USD 10 million to COVID-19 Emergency Fund created for the region
• Already supplied essential drugs, medical consumables, COVID protection and testing kits etc to the region.
• Video conference of health professionals to share information and best practices from the region
• Launched a ‘COVID-19 Information Exchange Platform (COINEX)’ to facilitate exchange of specialized information.
• Development of an innovative website by SAARC Disaster Management Centre to provide reliable information & updates on the evolving situation across our member countries
• SAARC Food Bank mechanism was activated to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic.
• And where we brought back our own people from afar, we had space both on the plane and in our hearts for our neighbours.
Emphasised India’s support for our #SAARC neighbours:
• Extended USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to Maldives
• Currency swap support of USD 200 million to Bhutan
•USD 400 million to Sri Lanka during the course of this year.
Recognise the progress on South Asian satellite and extension of National Knowledge Network.
Cross-border terrorism, blocking connectivity and obstructing trade are three key challenges that SAARC must overcome.
Only then will we see enduring peace, prosperity and security in our South Asia region.
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