Ethiopian, Pakistani PMs hold phone talks

Addis Ababa, May 4, 2020 (FBC) –Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has held phone talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Both leaders agreed on the importance of debt relief for developing countries to withstand the COVID19 challenges and to quickly absorb and recover from economic shocks.

“We will work together to ensure the progression of our economies,” said the Ethiopian Prime Minister after the discussion.

In his recent article  published on The New York Times, the Ethiopian Prime Minister underscored the importance of cancellation of global debt of poor nations.

He welcomed the temporary relief offered by Group of 20 countries to some of the world’s lowest-income countries by suspending debt repayments until the end of the year.

But, at the very least, the suspension of debt payments should last not just until the end of 2020 but rather until well after the pandemic is truly over, according to him.

“It should involve not just debt suspension but debt cancellation. Global creditors need to waive both official bilateral and commercial debt for low-income countries,” he said.

Ethiopian Prime Minister called for these steps to be taken with a sense of urgency because the resources freed up will save lives and livelihoods in the short term.