PM calls for equal access to Covid vaccine for all countries
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March 5, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called upon the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) to devise a joint strategy to ensure equitable access and distribution of Covid-19 vaccine for the global public good.
The Prime Minister, in his address to the virtual 14th ECO Summit themed ‘Regional Economic Cooperation in the aftermath of Covid-19’, stressed the need to mobilise the resources of ECO countries to fight the pandemic effectively, and called for Covid-19 vaccines being declared as a global public good to ensure their swift availability to all countries, not only to those who can better afford the vaccines.
Sino-Pakistan Ties: Diplomacy To Strategic Partnership
Both nations plan series of events to commemorate 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations until May 21. Pakistan and China, longtime Asian allies, kicked off celebrations this week to mark the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, which have progressed from formal diplomacy to strategic partners in recent decades.
The year 2021 marks the completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, established in May 1951. The celebrations began with a virtual ceremony held simultaneously in Islamabad and Beijing on Tuesday as both nations plan a series of events to commemorate the historic milestone until May 21.
updated: Mar 05 2021, 10:56 ist
Amid signs of a growing partnership between Beijing and Tehran, New Delhi has proposed the inclusion of the Chabahar Port on the southeastern coast of Iran in the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is being seen as a counterweight to the Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) of China.
With China wooing Iran to take part in its ambitious but controversial cross-continental connectivity project, India has called for expansion of the INSTC to include Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India welcomed the interest of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to join the INSTC. “India has also proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route. I am hopeful that during the INSTC Coordination Council meeting, member states would agree to the expansion of the INSTC route to include the Chabahar Port and also agree on expanding the membership of this project,” he said, addressing the Maritime India S
Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) will cut across the centre of the Arctic Ocean, passing close to the North Pole.
China News: BEIJING: As the ice-covered parts of the Arctic Ocean melt due to climate change, China has flagged its interest to take part in building "Polar Silk .