ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Wednesday, said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the “number one” priority of the PTI government and it is committed to complete ongoing projects and make it a high quality demonstration project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Qureshi, who is also vice chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was speaking “ruling parties’ dialogue” between the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and the PTI. Chinese side was led by Minister of the International Department Central Committee of CPC (IDCPC).

In his remarks, Qureshi said that the CPEC is a transformational project and it is the number one priority for the PTI government.

“We are fully committed to complete ongoing CPEC projects and make CPEC a High Quality Demonstration Project of BRI. We also look forward to further enhance development and construction of CPEC in its Second Phase with more focus on industrialization, poverty alleviation, job creation and socio-economic development,” he added.

With joint efforts of successive generations and leaderships of two countries, he said that China-Pakistan friendship has gone from strength-to-strength with each passing day.

“Our relationship is based on mutual trust, understanding and commonality of interests. This relationship is deeply rooted in the hearts of peoples of two countries and has withstood tests of time,” he added.

?“After seven decades, our relationship has transformed into an “All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”. We should forge our energies and visions to jointly build “Closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era”,” he asserted.

?During the Covid-19 pandemic, he added that the two-sided cooperation remained exemplary.

“We supported each other, within our capacities, to effectively control the pandemic,” he said, congratulating the Chinese leadership and whole Chinese nation for a successful “People’s War” against the pandemic and a remarkable economic recovery.

He also thanked the Chinese leadership for consistent support to Pakistan in its fight against the pandemic.

?Qureshi added that party-to-party relations are an important facet of our bilateral cooperation, adding that the two parties enjoyed cordial relationship.

In the past few years, we have learnt from each other’s experiences through enhanced interaction and mutual exchanges, he added.

?“We look forward to further deepen Party-to-Party cooperation between PTI and CPC, learn from each other, and share vital experiences on governance, party building and party organisation,” he added.

The two parties also signed an MoU aimed at further strengthening the cooperation.

“?CPC’s vision of realizing “Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation” and PTI’s vision of building “Naya Pakistan” are the common aspirations of the people of two countries…We stand ready to enhance cooperation between our two countries and two political parties for realisation of our respective dreams,” Qureshi further stated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021