FM meets Queen Maxima of the Netherlands: Bilawal wants ties with Finland improved

DAVOS: Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto called on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here on Tuesday.

The two foreign ministers discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global matters of mutual interest. Underscoring that Pakistan valued Finland as an important bilateral partner as well as a key member of the European Union, Bilawal expressed Pakistan’s resolve to solidify its political and economic relations with Finland. He stressed the need to enhance commercial ties and investment cooperation. He hoped that the Finnish Embassy would be reopened in Islamabad, which would facilitate trade relations and promotion of people-to-people contacts.

Meanwhile, Bilawal met Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in her capacity as the United Nations secretary general’s special advocate for Inclusive Finance and Development. He was joined by Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar and Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman.

Bilawal underscored that Pakistan was committed to the promotion of financial inclusion in the country. He said the State Bank of Pakistan had successfully operationalised the instant digital micropayments gateway called Raast as part of the national digital infrastructure development strategy. He recalled the initiatives aimed at facilitating women’s participation and integration in the country’s economy. He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts through the Roshan Digital Account initiative to improve access to banking services in the country for overseas Pakistanis.