Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani on Tuesday reaffirmed their resolve to further enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in the trade and investment domains.
During a meeting, the two leaders led their respective sides during the talks. They reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.
They also expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in engagement between the two countries.
The prime minister had reached Doha earlier in the day on an official visit. He was accompanied by senior members of the Cabinet.
The prime minister underlined the government’s keen interest in deepening and diversifying engagement with Qatar in the energy sector including renewables, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture and livestock, and tourism.
The prime minister thanked the Qatari leadership for the care afforded to Pakistani expatriates in Qatar.
Highlighting Pakistan’s rich human resource potential, Prime Minister Sharif said he looked forward to working with the Qatari leadership in exploring more opportunities for Pakistanis who could contribute to Qatar’s development through their skill and enterprise.
Reviewing the latest developments in Afghanistan, the prime minister underscored the importance of constructive engagement and the need for the international community to scale up its support for the Afghan people in dealing with the twin humanitarian and economic crises. The prime minister lauded Qatar’s efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan as well as its humanitarian assistance for the country.
He congratulated Qatar on hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, and wished the people and government of Qatar every success in the convening of the world’s largest sporting events.
Pakistan and Qatar enjoy longstanding fraternal ties, rooted deep in shared faith and values as well as close bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. The two countries also collaborate closely on regional and international issues. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday terming Qatar as a “reliable friend” of Pakistan called for effective bilateral engagement to boost trade and investment ties according to their true capacity and potential.Addressing Pakistan-Qatar Trade and Investment Roundtable 2022 here, he appreciated Qatar for supporting Pakistan during this era of extreme inflationary trends worldwide and the economic tightness “beyond our imagination”. The Prime Minister termed the panel discussion during the trade and investment roundtable as very productive and informative, which he added gave them a way forward for the friendly countries of Pakistan and Qatar, enjoying decades’ old fraternal relations based on mutual trust, respect and support.
He said Pakistan offered huge opportunities of investment in the areas of agriculture, solar energy, renewable energy and Information Technology (IT). The Prime Minister said that the present government took over at a time when Pakistan was facing huge challenges of hovering economy, trade deficit and huge pressure on resources. The only way forward to cut imports including that of the fuel imports was to boost the country’s exports through increased industrial production and moving towards renewable energies, he added. Highlighting the country’s huge hydropower potential, the Prime Minister said Pakistan offered foreign investment especially to the Qatari investors to benefit from investing hydropower generation for immediate profits. Lauding Qatar for its mediatory role in Afghanistan, he said that Qatar had established its credibility to promote peace, tranquility and harmony not only in Afghanistan but in the region.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan and Qatar should synergize their efforts in the area of trade and investment. The Prime Minister highlighted his government’s firm commitment to providing a friendly environment for business and investments in the country. He stressed that Pakistan was blessed with immense natural and human resources and that Pakistan’s geographical location enabled it to become the region’s premier trade, energy and transport corridor. This unique advantage made Pakistan a market full of promise and opportunities, the Prime Minister said.
He underscored that, having a large consumer market with an ever-expanding middle class, Pakistan offered attractive business opportunities for investors in the fields of food security, energy including renewables, agriculture and livestock, information technology, hospitality and tourism sectors. The Prime Minister assured of the government’s full support to Qatari investors in deepening their footprint in Pakistan. He appreciated the efforts of the organizers in arranging the Roundtable with Pakistani and Qatari businessmen.
