Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday invited Kuwait to benefit from the vast and profitable investment opportunities in Pakistan amid country’s shifting focus to geo-economics with central emphasis on peace, development and connectivity.
At a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs of Kuwait Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Sabah here at the Foreign Office, Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed him on the economic potential of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in particular the special economic zones being set up along the route.
During the meeting, the two foreign ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in political, economic, defence, trade and investment sectors, and manpower export, and discussed ways to enhance people-to-people linkages between the two countries. The resolve to continue close collaboration in multilateral fora, in particular the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was reaffirmed.
Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to further strengthening and diversifying bilateral cooperation with Kuwait in all fields. Expressing satisfaction at the recently held bilateral political consultations (January 2021), he reiterated the resolve to work together towards achieving mutually agreed goals.
It was agreed to convene the next session of the joint ministerial commission as soon as possible. The need for facilitating travel between Pakistan and Kuwait to provide impetus to bilateral trade was also emphasized. In this regard, the two sides resolved to achieve tangible results in the near future.
The foreign minister of Kuwait appreciated the positive contribution of more than one hundred thousand expatriate Pakistanis towards the development of Kuwait. He thanked Pakistan for support and cooperation during the global pandemic, in particular in the health sector and food security of Kuwait.
Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed his counterpart on the situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), in particular the serious human rights violations and attempts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory. He stressed that peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, was indispensable for durable peace and security in South Asia. He also detailed Pakistan’s efforts in support of the Afghan peace process and stressed that the Afghan parties must seize this historic opportunity to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for all efforts aimed at enhancing solidarity and unity within the Muslim Ummah.
Later, the visiting dignitary called on Prime Minister Imran Khan. Reaffirming Pakistan’s long-standing fraternal ties with Kuwait, rooted deep in shared faith and culture, the prime minister underscored the imperative of forging deeper economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Lauding the efforts on both sides to build an enhanced partnership, he also appreciated the two countries working closely to ensure ease of travel and enhancing people-to-people linkages.
The foreign minister of Kuwait expressed his country’s firm resolve to further expand cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields. He expressed thanks for Pakistan’s steadfast support and noted that the two countries always stood by each other at difficult times. He also thanked the prime minister for Pakistan’s valuable cooperation, especially during the testing times of global pandemic.
