ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s recent visit to China reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the timely completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative, besides freely advocating the need for collective efforts for shared prosperity and regional connectivity.
Earlier, the prime minister visited China to participate and address the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of President Xi Jinping as the latter opened the Forum being attended by representatives from 140 nations.
The form was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Meanwhile, addressing the Forum of BRF titled ‘Connectivity in an Open Global Economy’, Prime Minister Kakar appreciated President Xi’s vision for creating a global community with a shared future and the Belt and Road Initiative, which held greater significance for global connectivity and shared prosperity.
Kakar also highlighted the crucial role of CPEC in generating new economic opportunities in Pakistan and endorsed the Chinese proposal for developing CPEC as a corridor of growth, innovation, green economy, livelihood, openness, and inclusiveness.
The Prime Minister underscored the need for a united global response to address complex transnational challenges faced by humanity and to prevent backsliding on the gains achieved under the UN Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda.
He stressed minimizing the infrastructure gaps in the developing world by investing in transportation, energy, and the digital economy.
Pakistani PM’s Engagements in China
During his visit, Prime Minister Kakar also met with the leaders of different countries, including Russia, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.
Kakar also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, as well as the senior leadership of the Communist Party of China, and discussed the ways forward to further deepen friendly and bilateral relations.
During his meeting with the Chinese president, the two dignitaries discussed various dimensions of the multi-faceted Pakistan-China relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to the longstanding and steadfast friendship, all-weather strategic cooperation, economic and trade ties, and the mega project CPEC.
The caretaker prime minister also held a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on the margins of the 3rd BRF.
Both leaders reviewed mutual cooperation with a special focus on trade, investment, and energy and expressed satisfaction with the constant expansion of friendly relations between Pakistan and Russia.
They also discussed the prospects of enhancing Eurasian connectivity and Pakistan’s crucial role in regional integration through road, rail, and energy corridors.
On the sidelines of the BRF, Pakistan’s prime minister also held important meetings with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym Jomart Tokayev, and President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Besides, the Prime Minister had a number of other important meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Chinese Premier, and leaders of different Chinese companies.
During his meetings with the business community, the prime minister apprised the Chinese businessmen of Pakistan’s initiatives for economic and financial stability and highlighted Pakistan’s investor-friendly policies, including the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which would act as a one-window platform to facilitate foreign investment.
During the visit, one of the business groups, the United Energy Group of China and Pakistan Refinery Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an investment worth $1.5 billion in the petroleum sector.
The MoU Would help to enhance the petrol production capacity of the refinery from 250,000 metric tons to 1.6 million metric tons and high-speed diesel from 0.6 million metric tons to 2 million metric tons.
In addition, the two sides signed 20 agreements and MoUs in total covering cooperation on the BRI, infrastructure, industry, mining, health, green and low-carbon development, space cooperation, digital, development cooperation, and export of agricultural products to China.
Earlier, the caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also attended a state banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping for world leaders attending the 3rd Belt and Road Forum in China.
