Islamabad: Minister of Planning prof. Ahsan Iqbal met Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Jiang Zaidong in his office to discuss the ongoing and upcoming initiatives under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
During the meeting, Minister Iqbal emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to ensure timely implementation of CPEC projects. He highlighted Pakistan’s desire to move to the next phase of CPEC, which includes the commissioning of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) aimed at facilitating Chinese investment in Pakistan.
Minister Iqbal is scheduled to visit China to attend a high-level forum on the Action Plan for Global Development and a Shared Future organized by the China International Development Cooperation Agency. This visit follows the agreements reached during the recent visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister to China. The subsequent meeting will focus on mutually agreed projects, with special focus on agricultural scholarships, IT training programmes, ML-1 railway project and Karakoram Highway (KKH) Phase 2 (Thakot-Raikot Section).
Ambassador Jiang Zaidong warmly welcomed Minister Iqbal, noting that this is the fourth visit of the Planning Minister to China since the new government took office.
Minister Iqbal assured the Chinese ambassador that the government is fulfilling the agreement reached between the leadership of the two countries to enhance economic cooperation and also taking strict measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens after the tragic incident in Dasu. The Chinese ambassador expressed full support for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts.
The meeting ended with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthen the Pakistan-China strategic partnership through continued cooperation and mutual support through the speedy implementation of the understanding reached during Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to China.
The Planning Minister will leave for a six-day visit to China this evening, during which he will consult with senior Chinese leadership and Chinese businessmen to review the progress of Phase 2 of the CPEC.
