Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership came in for praise on Friday from at least four of India’s neighbouring countries after he proposed that the SAARC leadership chalks out a joint strategy to fight the deadly coronavirus threat to the region.
The leadership of Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan welcomed the proposal with a special praise for the initiative shown by the prime minister.
“I would like to propose that the leadership of SAARC nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight Coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy. Together, we can set an example to the world, and contribute to a healthier planet,” the tweet by the prime minister said.
The response was positive and swift with President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih tweeting back acceptance of the idea.
“Thank you PM @narendramodi for taking the initiative on this important endeavor. Covid 19 requires collective effort to defeat it. Maldives welcomes this proposal and would fully support such a regional effort,” Solih tweeted.
In another tweet, the Prime minister had emphasised that South Asia should “leave no stone unturned” in its fight against coronavirus.
“Our planet is battling the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. At various levels, governments and people are trying their best to combat it. South Asia, which is home to a significant number of the global population should leave no stone unturned to ensure our people are healthy,” PM’s tweet said.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa described the proposal as “great initiative” and said the region needed to stand in “solidarity” during these “trying” times.
“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,” he tweeted.
The most effusive endorsement for the prime minister’s idea came from Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering, who had hosted Modi not so long ago. He said PM Modi’s initiative was example of leadership.
“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,” a tweet from Tshering’s official twitter account @PM said.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, too, welcomed PM’s idea and said his government was ready to work closely with SAARC member states to protect the citizens.
“I welcome the idea advanced by Prime Minister Modiji @narendramodi for chalking out a strong strategy by the leadership of the SAARC nations to fight Coronavirus. My government is ready to work closely with SAARC Member States to protect our citizens from this deadly disease,” Oli’s tweet said.
SAARC or South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation comprises of eight countries- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Maldives
