S Jaishankar & Chinese FM Wang Yi discuss bilateral efforts to combat Coronavirus crisis

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and agreed to build further on bilateral efforts in combating the spread of Coronavirus. With India leading the battle against the global pandemic Coronavirus (COVID19), Prime Minister Modi, on March 15, addressed a video conference with the SAARC nations to share efforts and issues as the seven countries battle the pandemic.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar apprised about his discussion asserting that 'global challenges require global cooperation'.

As the COVID-19 is unfolding, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects that the Coronavirus will cause a global recession in 2020 that will be as bad as 2008 financial crisis, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday. 

According to the Health Ministry, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the country has reached over 500. The Coronavirus which started in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has so far affected people in about 190 countries globally, with over 14,000 fatalities, among other things, it has led to nationwide lockdown in several countries, a shortage of supply of essential goods and has caused huge financial loss at the stock market.

READ: BREAKING: CM Uddhav Thackeray announces curfew in Maharashtra; essential services exempted

READ: EAM S Jaishankar connects with Sri Lanka's FM, reviews SAARC-COVID-19 summit decisions

EAM S Jaishankar connects with Sri Lanka's FM

Earlier, S Jaishankar apprised about his interaction with Sri Lanka's foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena on SAARC-COVID Summit decisions. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar stated that the disruptions caused by coronavirus are being addressed by the neighboring countries.

READ: 12 COVID-19 patients cured in Maharashtra

READ: Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra go up to 107