Pakistan, Saudi Arabia reaffirm commitment for strengthening economic relationship

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has emphasized the need for strengthening of Pak-Saudi economic relationship and taking steps for realizing the vast possibilities in the fields of trade, investment and energy.

He was talking to Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud who called on him in Islamabad today (Tuesday).

The Prime Minister appreciated the work relating to activation of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council, which is the highest level platform designed to impart strategic direction to the development of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations.

Imran Khan lauded the important role of Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia in progress of the two countries and underlined the importance of timely measures for facilitation of their return to Saudi Arabia.

Prince Faisal underscored the importance that Saudi Arabia attaches to its strong relationship with Pakistan, based on bonds of brotherhood.

Chairing a review meeting on the progress made so far for the promotion of tourism in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan is immensely blessed with the tourism potential when compared with the entire region.

He stressed that steps should be taken within the stipulated time to make Pakistan a tourists’ destination in the region, which would bring investment and foreign exchange.

Stressing on the importance of tourism, Imran Khan directed that the calendar of cultural festivals should be prepared keeping in view their importance, so that tourists could participate in the festivals without any hassle.

The meeting was informed that geo-mapping of tourist destinations in all the provinces have almost been completed, which would help develop and attract investment at the tourist destinations.

The meeting was also apprised of the commencement and progress of development work in Nandana Fort and the steps taken for the promotion of coastal tourism in Balochistan.

On the other hand, Pakistan and United States of America have pledged to jointly work and boost bilateral cooperation for enhanced global climate action to protect world environmental ecosystems and the life on earth they feed, according to a press release issued here today from climate change ministry. Climate Change Ministry media spokesperson Muhammad Saleem told media that Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Former Presidential candidate and US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry made such pledge during their meeting in the British capital’s Kew Gardens on the heels of the pre-COP meeting in the run-up to the annual global climate conference set for November this year in Glasgow. “Both sides pondered over at length diverse matters of bilateral cooperation and opportunities for collaboration between US and Pakistani governments in the fields of post-COVID-19 green economic recovery by enhancing investment in nature-based solutions and green job creations, environmental sustainability, climate change, sustainable fore¬¬st management, air pollution and water conservation and protection and disaster risk reduction”, according to the ministry official. Both Pakistan and United States also agreed on forming a joint working group to address challenges related to Climate Change, to take these talks forwards and strengthen relationships for Climate Protection. The efforts of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s bold action on halting coal powered plants as well as Pakistan’s leadership on Nature Based Solutions, including the massive Ten Billion Tree Tsunami, campaign was appreciated by Senator Kerry during the meeting. He also assured Pakistan of full support from United States on climate change including providing access to best available technologies in renewable energy transition, technical support on climate smart agriculture and availability of climate finance. The SAPM thanked United States government for reigniting their leadership role on Climate Change, under the Biden administration, and assured that Pakistan believes in a low carbon development pathway and on nature-based solutions to Climate Change. Pakistan is finalizing its enhanced NDCs to be presented at COP26 and reaffirmed that the world needs to collectively confront the largest challenge humanity has ever faced. Availability of the promised Climate finance remains the key to success at Glasgow. Malik Amin Aslam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change is attending the July Pre-COP 26 Ministerial meeting in London, UK from 25-26 July 2021, with climate and environment ministers and representatives from a select 50 countries, aiming for a political consensus necessary for success ahead of November’s COP26 negotiations. Furthermore, The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Malik Amin Aslam (SAPM) thanked the COP Presidency and UK government for convening this important meeting and for putting climate adaptation first and for an important discussion on Loss and Damage. The event marked the first face-to-face ministerial of its kind in more than 18 months. With fewer than 100 days to go until the critical UN climate change conference, this ministerial meeting is seen as a key to shaping the vision of the final outcomes from COP26 which the world gripped by climate change is eagerly awaiting. The SAPM also emphasized during the meet that climate action could not be delayed any further and needs to start now with a just transition towards low carbon energy pathways leveraged through emission trading and financing Clean energy transitions. On its part Pakistan is focussed on shifting 60% of its energy mix to clean energy by 2030 and for shifting 30% of its transport towards electric vehicle by 2030. The concrete and clear green vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan is being appreciated worldwide. Meanwhile, while sharing details of the present government’s green and clean Pakistan initiatives, Malik Amin Aslam told the Joh Kerry that the incumbent government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched various flagship programmes and projects including the world’s largest afforestation programme of 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Clean Green Pakistan Programme, Protected Areas Initiative, Plastic-Free Pakistan Initiative, Recharge Pakistan Initiative as a part of the country’s efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and climate resilience through conservation and protection of environment, forests and wildlife, wherein community and youth engagements are being assigned the heightened priority. Malik Amin Aslam also informed the US top key official that a novel Protected Area Initiative, approved last year in June by the Prime Minister Imran Khan, was also rolled out under the umbrella programme ‘Green Pakistan’, which is the present government’s historic milestone of nature conservation and ecosystem restoration, aims to increase the country’s protected areas cover from 13 percent to 15 percent by 2023 and create 5,000 green jobs across the country that are viewed as crucial in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time protected natural resources of the country. He also said that the PM Imran Khan had also approved the ‘Green Stimulus’ package previous year in April as a part of the government’s efforts to extend green cover in the county and to create job opportunities for the youth, under which so far over 86,000 green jobs have been created for daily wagers rendered unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, the US climate official John Kerry lauded the PM Imran Khan’s green and clean initiatives for creation of green jobs through green economic recovery, protection of environment, forests, the wildlife, restoration of degraded ecosystems and enhancing Pakistan’s resilience against negative fallouts of climate change on agriculture, forests, water, food, energy, health, education and lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable communities. “