New Delhi: Even as the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis spreads across the world, India and Malaysia are working together on many fronts from the evacuation of citizens to cooperating on other areas as part of "strategic partnership". India has allowed 18 special Malaysian flights for the evacuation of Malaysian nations since it had imposed a ban on international flights on March 20.
A total of 18 foreign flights, the biggest number of flights India allowed for any foreign country, flew back 2,833 Malaysian nationals. This is also the maximum number of citizens repatriated until now for any foreign country.
Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Mridul Kumar on Wednesday met Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein regarding cooperation during this crisis. Thanking Indian Envoy for repatriation of Malaysian citizens, Hussein said, "So many Malaysians have benefitted and it was not easy and what we went through, we can share with the world too... when we put our heads together with a sincere heart.. we will get through this together...and we will fight this."
Kumar remarked, "It has been a real honour and a privilege to work with the new government." He added, "I think COVID-19 has given that extraordinary challenge and through that challenge, it has also given us a very apt opportunity to showcase to the rest of the world that we strategic partners in real and true sense. COVID-19 has been a global challenge for all countries, for all governments and all the people."
This is the second meet between Indian envoy and the new Malaysian foreign minister since March. The Indian high commissioner was the first envoy received by the foreign minister on March 16. On the same day, Kumar also called on the new Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin.
