CPEC to be expanded as Pak leaderships’ vision

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China here on Monday agreed to expand China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to new areas of cooperation in line with the vision of the leadership of Pakistan besides resolving to complete the ongoing projects.

During the first round of political consultations between Pakistan and China held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Pakistan side conveyed that CPEC was a national priority for the government and Pakistan remained committed to the successful implementation of the CPEC, Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation while Chinese side was led by Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou. Both sides held comprehensive discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. They reaffirmed ‘All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’ between the two countries and expressed their satisfaction at the strong bilateral ties in political, economic, security, cultural and other spheres.

The two sides also agreed to build upon the consensus reached between the leadership of two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China. Both sides exchanged views on international political situation with a particular focus on Afghanistan and South Asia. They also expressed satisfaction at their robust cooperation in multilateral fora and reiterated their resolve to further augment it in the future.