Pakistan and China join hands to achieve millennium development goals

Pakistan and China would join hands to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at reducing poverty and improving socio-economic life of the common man. This was stated by the Planning Commission's Chief Economist, Dr Pervez Tahir, who was representing the country at the three-day international conference on MDGs, which began here on Thursday.
It was inaugurated by the Chinese senior leader and State Councillor, Tang Jiaxuan.
Talking to newsman, Dr Pervez Tahir said that China and Pakistan were engaged in strengthening their all-round partnership to serve the economic interests of their people, as well as to achieve the targets, set by the UNs.
Pakistan would release its report on MGDs targets and achievements next month, he said adding, "We are moving ahead successfully reviving the national economy, aimed at reducing the poverty lines. We are confident to achieve the stipulated targets by the year 2015," he added.
"We are hoping to exceed the annual GDP target of 5.3 percent this year," he said, adding this would lay a strong foundation for sustained poverty reduction.
China made enormous economic progress in the recent years, and we wished to learn from its experience.
He hoped that the conference would help to strengthen interaction and cooperation at the regional and international levels achieving common objectives.
About Sino-Pak economic partnership, Tahir said that the role of the Chinese companies in the development of major national projects like Gwadar project was highly encouraging.
The Chinese Exim Bank would provide dollar 500 million soft-term loan to Pakistan within next couple of months, which he said, would further increase Chinese investment in the country.
The UN resident co-ordinator, Khalid Malik said that the world body was increasing its role in the developing countries to improve the socio-economic life of their people. It has doubled the level of development and its financial aid in the developing countries for promotion of a fair socio-economic order.
The MDGs eight goals are: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development.
The conference, jointly organised by the United Nations and the Chinese Foreign Office, is being attended by representatives from various countries and international organisations.
Prominent among those attending the conference include UN Assistant Secretary General Hafiz Pasha, UN Secretary General's special envoy Dr Nafis Sadik, UN resident co-ordinator in China Khalid Malik and Pakistan Ambassador Riaz Mohammad Khan.