KARACHI: In another 'concrete step' towards the materialisation of multibillion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) venture, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China's largest seaport of Guangdong Province. Also, Pakistan is going to contest election in November for securing a permanent seat at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). A year and half back, the IMO had suspended Pakistan's membership for having defaulted on the Organisation's membership fee.
Chairman KPT Vice Admiral Shafqat Jawed and Director General Department of Transport Guangdong Province Zeng Zhaogeng inked the MoU here at KPT head office to strengthen the ports and shipping connectivity and establish co-operation between the two sides. The signing ceremony was attended by Minister for Ports and Shipping Senator Kamran Michael and Vice Governor of Guangdong Province Liu Zhigeng who leads a six-member Chinese delegation to Pakistan. "It is another concrete step leading to the materialisation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor project," KPT chief told reporters. Guangdong, he said, was the biggest port of China which KPT, backed by ministry of ports and shipping, had laid the foundation of co-operation with.
Dwelling on broad contours of the MoU, the naval officer said the agreement envisaged Chinese port operators to help the KPT enhance cargo handling capacity at Karachi port. "Their annual TEUs handling capacity stands at 54 million compared to our 1.6 million," he added. Other areas of co-operation, the chairman said, would be bettering the local logistics network, freeing Karachi port of congestion, simplification of cargo handling processes and port related infrastructure development projects.
Earlier, Federal Minister Kamran Michael said the MoU was first of its kind in the KPT's history as such agreements are routinely signed on ministerial level. "This MoU was signed here at KPT after the approval of ministry of foreign affairs," the minister told reporters. The PML-N senator said the CPEC project made China as a largest investor in Pakistan where the present government was committed to leave no stone unturned to facilitate investors from its all-weather-friendly neighbouring country. Developments like these, Michael said, would push Pakistan towards its goal to become the "Asian Tiger" besides further cementing bilateral relations between the two nations.
Under the MoU, the federal minister said, the two sides would be exchanging officers from the ports and shipping industry to train thus benefit from each other's experiences. Giving what he called as a 'good news', the minister said in November Pakistan would be contesting for "C" category permanent seat at the IMO. "They have downgraded us to the status of an observer," said Michael claiming that his government after coming to power had got Pakistan's membership restored at international maritime body. A KPT statement later said the MoU was significant in terms of bilateral co-operation as both the KPT and Guangdong ports were the transportation hubs of their respective countries.
The MOU envisages promoting co-operation in ports and shipping, logistics, strengthening communications and establishing closer ties between the two countries, it added. Also the two parties agree to augment bilateral co-operation in terms of investment and port operations.
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