Bangladesh, Afghanistan welcome PM Modi's proposal of joint strategy to fight coronavirus

New Delhi [India], Mar 13 (ANI): Two more SAARC nations -- Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- on Friday endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to chalk out a joint strategy to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Welcoming the proposal, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she looks forward to a constructive dialogue with SAARC leaders who have already "consented to discuss the way forward at this testing time for the region and the world."
"HPM Sheikh Hasina welcomes the proposal and look forward to a constructive dialogue with @narendramodi @ibusolih @PM_Nepal @PMBhutan @GotabayaR n others HOSs/HOGs who already consented to discuss the way forward at this testing time for the region and the world," Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi said that the government has welcomed the proposal and readiness of the other SAARC members to work together devising a unified strategy to fight the coronavirus in the region.
"The Afghan government strongly welcomes the proposal of HE The Prime Minister of India and readiness of the other SAARC members to work together devising a unified strategy to fight the Coronavirus in the region," Sediqqi tweeted.
Prime Minister Modi on Friday had proposed that the leaders of the SAARC countries should chalk out a joint strategy to fight coronavirus.
"I would like to propose that the leadership of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight Coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy," PM Modi had tweeted.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan Envoy to India, Tahir Qadri, said, "In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for creating a robust strategy for SAARC nations, aiming at tackling #CoronavirusPandemic, I would like to acknowledge his call. United we stand, divided we fall!"
Within hours, leaders of Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka had endorsed PM Modi's proposal, promising their complete support towards the collective effort against the pandemic. (ANI)