ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of coronavirus vaccine under the COVAX scheme.
Making the announcement after a meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Qureshi said the 15m doses would be delivered by May. The COVAX scheme is aimed at ensuring equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
“Following my meeting with Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas, I am happy to announce that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the #COVID vaccine under COVAX, with a commitment for these to be delivered by May,” the foreign minister said in Twitter.
While talking to President German Parliament Dr Wolfgang Schäuble in Berlin earlier on Monday, the foreign minister said Pakistan gives immense importance to its relations with Germany.
He said that the presence of separate Pak-German Parliamentary Friendship Groups in both upper and lower house of Pakistan is a welcome step.
He expressed hope that a “Special Friendship Group” would also be formed in the German Parliament to promote bilateral parliamentary relations and benefit from each other’s experiences.
They also discussed bilateral relations, promotion of ties at the parliamentary level and other matters of mutual interests.
The foreign minister appreciated Germany’s timely and effective efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. He said that Pakistan also tackled the challenge in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan pursuing a strategy of “smart lockdown”.
He stressed the need to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries to further strengthen bilateral relations. He said Pakistan has become an emerging attractive market for foreign investors with a population of 220 million people in the region and the government is giving several incentives to investors including e-visa facility. He also invited German companies and investors to invest in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to German Dr Muhammad Faisal was also present in the meeting.
