ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and China will march toward shared development and prosperity with joint investments in diverse projects.

In an interview with Chinese news agency, PM Shehbaz said friendship between Pakistan and China spanned more than 70 years and has been nurtured by both countries’ leadership to promote friendly relations.

He added that two countries have developed as all-weather, “Iron Brothers” and have unique associations of friendship that have stood the test of time. “This friendship now must achieve higher heights,” he added.

“It is great success model and success story,” Prime Minister said that generations of visionary Chinese leaders have led their people to create unprecedented development miracles, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and providing vast rural populations with access to education, health, medical facilities and employment.”

“Despite challenges in recent years, China’s growth has still gone steadily compared to other countries, which is remarkable achievement,” he added.

Pakistan should replicate this model in country to alleviate poverty, provide jobs to youth and encourage small and medium entrepreneurs to kickstart businesses in villages, towns and cities in sectors of agriculture, industry, information technology and on other platforms, he said.

Citing Pakistan as one of first batch of countries joining Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative (GDI), PM Sharif said that Pakistan fully and firmly supports China-proposed GDI and Global Security Initiative and believes initiatives will further create strong connections between global communities.

Pakistan will attract modern technology in information technology (IT), industrial and agricultural areas as China is now moving towards high-tech, higher quality production.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif hoped that once Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement come into effect, existing bilateral trade volume of 1 billion dollar per annum had potential to enhance manifold.

In meeting with Commander of National Guard of Kingdom of Bahrain General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa who called on him to convey greetings of King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, PM warmly welcomed General Sheikh Mohammad and thanked Bahrain leadership for their messages of felicitations.

Situation in Gaza was also discussed and both sides called for an immediate ceasefire and ensuring urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to innocent Palestinians.

He referred to King Hamad Nursing Hospital that was under construction in Islamabad and said flagship project was King’s gift to people of Pakistan.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 14 2024

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