MNA � Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held a phone conversation on Tue. with regards to the challenges facing Iranian people in the fight against coronavirus and the need for lifting US economic sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pakistan�s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had recently talked with his German counterpart and also some member states of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) regarding the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, as well as US sanctions imposed against Iran which has hampered Iran�s effort to contain the fatal disease.

In his phone talk with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Qureshi said that Islamic Republic of Iran has faced serious problem in the fight against coronavirus due to the continuation of US economic sanctions, Pakistan Foreign Ministry announced.

In this statement, it is read, �spread of COVID-19 in Iran is very worrying, for, sanctions have hampered Iran�s efforts to contain the deadly disease.�

According to the statement, French foreign minister emphasized that coronavirus is a global challenge and joint cooperation should be expanded to address the disease.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, �the issue of lifting Iran sanctions and livelihood problems facing the developing countries will be put forward in G-20 Group summit.�