ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said there were vast opportunities for cooperation between Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries in diverse areas.

Addressing a conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said Pakistan could modernise its agriculture sector by attracting a sizeable investment from Middle Eastern countries.

He said “we have to create a Green Revolution 2.0 in the country where we not only fulfill our domestic food requirements but also export agriculture products.”

Ahsan Iqbal said there was also a great scope of cooperation in the areas of IT, energy, mining, tourism and skills development.

The Minister for Planning said the Middle East was a strategic economic partner of Pakistan. He said countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council had always stood by Pakistan in difficult times and proved to be a reliable partner.

Alluding to the recent developments in the Middle East, especially the joining of SCO by Saudi Arabia and the role played by China in KSA-Iran rapprochement, the Minister for Planning and Development said that according to an estimate, trade between the GCC and the emerging Asian nations would increase to over 600 billion dollars by 2030.

He said since Pakistan had a close relationship with all those countries, there were opportunities for the country to align itself with these changes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023