President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said that Pakistan would define the parameters and set priorities to meet both domestic and global challenges.
The 'Friends of Democratic Pakistan' group was an initiative, spearheaded by the President during his visit to the US last month to attend the UN General Assembly, they said while jointly chairing the preliminary meeting of the core group of 'Friends of Democratic Pakistan'.
The meeting was attended by representatives from US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, China and the UK. Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin and Foreign Secretary also attended the meeting. Briefing media about deliberations of the meeting, Sherry said that it was arranged to prepare the ground for the next meeting in the UAE.
"The Friends of Democratic Pakistan group symbolises the support that the new democratic Pakistan is receiving from the countries represented on the forum. The extraordinary interest shown by the core group for the wellbeing of our nation reflects their confidence in the leadership of Pakistan," she said.
She said the government views Friends of Democratic Pakistan group as a very important initiative that could serve as key to long-term strategic and economic stability. "The President and the Prime Minister have reiterated their firm resolve to make this effort a success. President Zardari has said that the group will serve as a strategic set-up for advancing Pakistan's interests and enhancing the country's capacity in all spheres," she said.
The minister said that UAE would be hosting the next meeting, for which dates would be set later. The UAE meeting will chalk out the roadmap for a more comprehensive strategy based on sharing best practices and laying strong multilateral foundations to promote the interests of Pakistan, she added.