Friday, October 20, 2023
PM Kakar participates in Third Belt and Road Forum.
It promises to modernize logistics services to facilitate trade.
Prime Minister considers Gwadar as a key component of CPEC.
URUMQI: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday said that Pakistan will learn from China's success in agriculture sector.
Addressing the students and faculty of Xinjiang University, the Prime Minister said, “We are trying to learn from Xinjiang's success in modernizing agriculture and are working to establish a joint agricultural demonstration zone to showcase modern agricultural techniques and practices in Pakistan.
He further said that Pakistan's aim is to take advantage of China's Xinjiang province's position as an "important node" of the economic corridor between the two countries.
In this regard, PM Kakar said that Islamabad will work together with Beijing to identify the respective strengths of Gilgit Baltistan and Xinjiang.
"The two neighboring regions had the potential to build synergies to improve the livelihoods of their people," he added.
The premier flew to Xinjiang's capital Urumqi on Thursday evening from Beijing, where he attended the Third Belt and Road Forum and met with Chinese leadership and other foreign dignitaries. The Prime Minister said that according to the consensus reached in Beijing during his visit, the land border at Sost in Khunjerab will be changed to an all-weather border. "We would like to modernize customs and other logistics services to facilitate trade and the movement of people," he said.
Describing Gwadar as a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Prime Minister suggested deepening economic cooperation by making effective use of the sister city's relationship with China's Kashgar and Karamay.
He further said that Pakistan wishes to link up with the industries of Xinjiang and Pakistan, especially the Gilgit-Baltistan region with a focus on solar energy cooperation. He emphasized cooperation between the two regions in the fields of culture, agriculture, tourism, education and joint research. He said Pakistan would like more of its students to study in China.
The Prime Minister invited tourists from Xinjiang and other parts of China to visit Pakistan and mentioned that recently a 15-member group of Chinese tour operators visited Pakistan and returned through the Sost Khunjerab border. PM Kakar said that Xinjiang is known for its rich cultural diversity and hospitality, adding that the region holds a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis for neighborly ties.
Xinjiang, he said, is not only a trade channel but also a vital bridge connecting the two nations. Kakar said the unique Pak-China relationship was rooted in bilateral trust, shared aspirations and invaluable warmth nurtured by successive generations.
"Pakistan views its ties with China as a long-term strategic partnership," he said. He mentioned that as CPEC entered its new phase, it helped in the development of Pakistan's infrastructure and improved the lives of its citizens. “My visit to China is essential to create a new plan and a new vision based on economic, people-to-people ties, sustainable development, peace and stability, and academic and technical exchanges. He expressed Pakistan's principled stance on Xinjiang and unequivocal support for China on matters related to its core position.
Kakar also spoke about the situation in the Middle East and called for efforts to stop the barbaric acts against the people of Palestine.
The Prime Minister interacted with Pakistani and Chinese students on the occasion and expressed high hopes that they would act as a bridge of friendship and brotherhood between their countries in the years to come.
He also visited the History Museum at Xinjiang University, where he was informed about the history of the 99-year-old university.
