UN chief backs PM Imran’s call for global initiative for debt relief
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for a Global Initiative for debt relief to developing countries.
At a regular virtual press briefing in New York, the spokesman of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric said Imran Khan’s initiative was in the same spirit as the Secretary-General’s own position.
He said the UN Chief believed that debt relief must be an important part of the response to COVID-19, including immediate waiver on interest payments for the current year.
Also Read: Debt relief essential for developing countries in current situation: WHO
The spokesman said it was important that the limited resources of the world’s poorest countries be used to combat Covid-19 virus.
Earlier, G20 and the G7 countries have also expressed their support to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s call for a temporary halt in debt payments for poorest countries.
This was stated by World Bank Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg in an interview with a British news agency.
He had said step had been taken to help the poor countries to focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the reports, the finance officials from the G7 and G20 countries are due to discuss the debt relief issue this week.
