KARACHI: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday inaugurated Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (PIMEC) and underscored the need for development of blue economy with a focus on energy, food security, and exploration of mineral wealth.
In his address to the participants, the foreign minister also emphasized the importance of the vision to meet maritime security challenges of Pakistan and the common goals of peace and stability.
He said that the establishment of international partnership in the maritime domain is inevitable for Pakistan in terms of national security and economic independence.
In order to promote blue economy and curb the threats posed by terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, human trafficking and arms, he said international partnership is essential to maintain the security of maritime communication lines.
He said that 95 percent of our trade is carried out by sea, adding that the geo-economic vision of Pakistan has been created keeping in mind the country’s ideal location to act as a hub for trade and energy links and relations between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
He said that Pakistan has been playing an active role in the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) against terrorism, piracy and other illegal activities, while Pakistan Navy also has the honour of commanding the said multinational task force on several occasions.
He said that Pakistan, as a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is committed to upholding the rights and responsibilities of States in relation to the governance of the seas, their resources, navigation, rights and freedoms.
“The current global security environment is full of enormous challenges and there is a need to avoid such geopolitical constructions which are not compatible with the local historical, cultural or geographical realities in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,” he emphasized.
He added that humanity today cannot afford a divisive approach to the common challenges we all face, adding that the challenges of environmental pollution, climate change, global warming and sea level rise have increased. He was sure that the platform of PIMEC will be used effectively to consider these issues in depth.
The foreign minister said that that around 90 percent of global trade by volume and 70 percent by value travel is carried out via sea, adding that this figure is remarkable demonstration of not only the significance of maritime domains for international trade but also the inter-dependence of global economies and collective interest of all states to ensure that their approaches towards maritime security, and the utilisation of marine resources remain guided by the spirit of cooperation and calibration.
He pointed out that the Indian Ocean contains countless varieties of fish, deep sea minerals and fissile fuels, in addition to the vast potential for tourism. Nearly half of the global seaborne trade and 70 percent of the global traffic of petroleum pass through the Indian Ocean, he said, adding that the Northern Arabian Sea itself is a resource-rich with immense potential to contribute towards Pakistan’s economic development.
Accordingly, the development of the blue economy is essential to realise this potential, especially in the areas of energy and food security, and the exploration of mineral wealth, he added.
The maiden edition of PIMEC is being held from 10–12 February 2023 at Karachi Expo Centre. A total of 133 exhibitors including 21 international firms and 112 local firms/ international organisations are participating in the exhibition.
Around 37 international delegations from 17 countries including Bahrain, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Turkiye, UK, Italy, Germany, Portugal, the USA, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Kazakhstan are also attending the event.
Another highlight of the event is active participation of Sindh and Balochistan governments which have established exclusive pavilions aimed at promoting investment in the maritime sector.
The PIMEC include maritime exhibition, business-to-business (B2B) and business to government meetings, signing of MoUs and media interactions.
The main objectives of PIMEC are to highlight Pakistan’s potential for blue economy, provide opportunities to maritime industry both in public and private sectors to display products at one forum. This will also provide a platform for interaction with international maritime industry for joint ventures, transfer of technology and research to provide importance to Pakistan’s maritime and defence industries.
According to the sources in Pakistan Navy, the country like Pakistan with 1,000-km coastline it can generate up to $6 billion annually through maritime affairs.
The official while responding to a question said that Pakistan has started working towards the blue economy but the sustainable growth target and development cannot be achieved unless there is political stability in the country.
The sources said unless the political parties would demonstrate strong will and seriousness towards this sector, Pakistan cannot progress.
Dr Maliha Zeba Khan, assistant professor, Department of International Relations, National University of Modern Languages (NUML), highlighted the challenges that prevent maritime sector from fully realizing the untapped potential of its maritime sector that include under developed coastal belt (lack of social services), not acknowledging the rights of local and coastal communities over coastal area, insufficient incoherent policies made in seclusion, lack of political will and lack of vision.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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