Doha: Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan H E Shehbaz Sharif affirmed yesterday that his country was keen to build solid strategic relations with the State of Qatar in various sectors.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency, who is now on an official visit to Qatar, said, “The relations between Pakistan and Qatar have seen a steady and positive trajectory over the last few years. We want to transform our historical and fraternal bilateral relationship into a more robust strategic relationship by enhancement of economic cooperation in diverse fields of mutual interest”.
Appreciating Qatar’s unrelenting multi-field support for his country, the prime minister said, “Both nations have a rich history of cooperation in the bilateral domain as well as on multilateral forums,” adding that Qatar-Pakistan ties were “rooted deep in shared faith, mutual understanding and convergence of interests”.
“The relationship between Qatar and Pakistan is based on mutual trust and shared goal of achieving prosperity for our peoples. We have had excellent cooperation in various fields, including energy, manpower export, and people-to-people linkages in the past as well,” he added.
“There is great potential and opportunities for transformation of these ties into a more robust partnership. We need to explore new ventures of cooperation in sectors, including renewable energy, food security, industrial & infrastructure development and hospitality sector,” he affirmed.
He stressed that his visit comes at a time when the world is facing grave economic challenges including “the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and geo-political tensions and conflicts in parts of the world.....the skyrocketing of fuel and food prices” that impacted developing countries including Pakistan, expressing hopes the “visit will provide an opportunity for Pakistan and Qatar to coordinate on addressing these shared challenges, and explore avenues for further cooperation and collaboration”.
Commenting on the upcoming world cup championship due to be hosted by Qatar as the first-ever tournament to be held in the Middle East, he said,
“It is a matter of pride that Qatar is going to host the FIFA World Cup 2022. Pakistan is proud of the contribution made by Pakistanis in organising this mega event. We are also proud of the fact that the football “Al Rihla” which would be used in the upcoming World Cup is made in Pakistan”.
He praised the Qatari endeavours to promote and back security and peace in the region and the world, saying “Qatar’s mediation initiatives on some of the most complex and intractable issues (from Afghanistan to the Middle East to Africa) have reinforced Qatar’s peace-making and peace-building credentials.”
He appreciated Qatar’s roles to enhance peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“Qatar has played a crucial role in the Afghan peace process. Qatar’s early decision to provide a political window to the Taliban, through their Doha political office, eventually became international community’s main communication channel with the Taliban.
“We deeply appreciate the role played by Qatar in signing of the Doha Accords. We are also appreciative of the humanitarian assistance provided by Qatar to the people of Afghanistan,” he said, stressing that both countries “believe that humanitarian efforts should continue in Afghanistan”.
Commenting on his country’s endeavours to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, he said, “Pakistan provided humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. The Government of Pakistan organised the 17th Extraordinary Session of OIC on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and proposed a trust fund dedicated to humanitarian uplift in Afghanistan. The Government of Pakistan is also disbursing assistance worth Rs5bn in support of the Afghan people”.
He also affirmed that his country has “the most liberal and open investment regimes where investors can freely move their assets and earnings”, highlighting the “special incentives to investors” in the country’s Special Economic Zones.
