Committed to deepening ties with Iran: Kakar

NEW YORK: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has met the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of 78th session of the UN General Assembly here. Underscoring close fraternal relations between the two neighboring countries, Kakar reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to further strengthen and deepen these ties, with particular focus on enhancing cooperation in the economic domain.

The prime minister stressed that steps, including the recent inauguration of Mand border marketplace, would not only contribute to the economic uplift of the border areas but also serve as a tangible manifestation of the collective commitment to work for betterment of two peoples.

Noting that President Raisi’s policy of ‘Neighborhood First’ was fully aligned with Pakistan’s vision for regional development and connectivity, the prime minister stressed the importance for both countries to leverage their unique geographical location to promote shared objectives of regional peace and prosperity, through greater trade and enhanced regional connectivity.

The caretaker prime minister participated in a high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative (GDI) Cooperation Outcomes. The GDI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on 20 September 2022.

In his remarks, the prime minister highlighted that progress towards achieving the SDGs had suffered a serious setback due to the poly crises of Covid, conflict and climate change. He expressed Pakistan’s support for the GDI and commended the milestones achieved in its implementation, the most recent being the successful launch of the Inter-Agency Task Force on GDI.

The prime minister stressed that China’s Belt and Road Initiative and China Pakistan Economic Corridor were vital vehicles for achieving the SDGs.

He highlighted the need for action in five key areas: food production, infrastructure investment, industrialization, resilient healthcare systems and the bridging the digital divide.

The prime minister further highlighted the necessity of adequate and appropriate finance at all levels of the development process and welcomed President Xi’s announcement of the setting up another fund of $10 billion dedicated to the implementation of GDI.

In conclusion, the prime minister stated that Pakistan looked forward to enhancing its cooperation with China and other members of the Group of Friends of GDI to realize their collective aspiration for implementation of SDGs.

The event also heard opening remarks by Han Zheng, Vice President of China, Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly, and other high-level dignitaries, as well as a video briefing and presentation on GDI cooperation.