Photo courtesy PID
During interactive session, foreign minister highlights government reforms aimed at improving country’s business climate
Underscoring the growing significance of geo-economics in international politics, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday urged Pakistan’s envoys to several nations to undertake stringent efforts to implement the country’s economic agenda.
Chairing an interactive session on economic diplomacy with Pakistan’s envoys to the U.S., Turkey, Austria, Iran, Russia, the Netherlands, as well as the permanent representatives to New York and Geneva, he stressed that economic security was a crucial function of national security. He also highlighted the government’s paradigm shift from geo-political contestation to geo-economic cooperation.
Briefing the participants on the government’s planned reforms to improve Pakistan’s business climate, Qureshi noted that the country’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index had significantly improved, with its Business Confidence Ranking increasing by 39 points according to an Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey. The country has also secured 6th place among the world’s top 10 business climate improvers, he added.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the minister commended the pivotal role played by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad to safeguard Pakistan’s economic interests, especially in the successful implementation of various initiatives such as Roshan Digital Account Initiative.
The session’s participants, read the statement, identified bottlenecks impeding bilateral economic cooperation and forwarded their recommendations to overcome them. They also provided insight on how to enhance economic cooperation at bilateral and regional levels.
The Foreign Office noted that the virtual meeting, the eighth in a series, was in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to promote economic diplomacy and increase economic cooperation with all partner countries.