Kuwait city: The sixth round of Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue was held in Islamabad on Thursday, co-chaired by visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
According to Kuwait News Agency, during the Dialogue, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discussed important regional and global issues. They exchanged in-depth views on multiple facets of bilateral cooperation, including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor 2 (CPEC 2.0), trade and economic relations, multilateral cooperation, and people-to-people ties.
Both leaders agreed that Pakistan-China friendship is significant for maintaining regional peace and stability and is indispensable for the progress and prosperity of the two countries. They also agreed to continue close coordination and communication, both bilaterally and at multilateral forums.
Pakistan and China have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the industrial, agricultural, and mining sectors, as well as to enhance people-to-people contacts and cultural cooperation, stated the Foreign Office.
Addressing a joint press conference after the Dialogue, the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed firm support to enhance Pakistan's economic resilience. Yi highlighted that the current priority for China and Pakistan is the high-quality development of an upgraded version of CPEC. He referred to the development of more corridors and mentioned joint support for the development and operations of Gwadar Port and the promotion of the Karakoram Highway realignment project. He also welcomed third-party participation in the ML-1 project of Pakistan Railways.
The visiting dignitary expressed sympathies over the deaths and destruction caused by recent floods in Pakistan, stating that his country will provide immediate emergency humanitarian assistance for the flood victims. He commended Pakistan's efforts in combating terrorism and expressed confidence in Pakistan's counter-terrorism operations. Both countries will work to deepen their counter-terrorism and security cooperation, he added.
Yi said that China and Pakistan will coordinate closely and meet challenges together given the situation in South Asia and the broader transformation in the world. He emphasized China's desire for the resolution of disputes through dialogue.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar described his talks with his Chinese counterpart as "fruitful and substantive," noting that the two sides also discussed preparations for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's forthcoming visit to China. He expressed Pakistan's commitment to working with China to elevate their friendship to a new level of cooperation.
Pakistan and China enjoy complete unanimity of views and consensus on all important matters, Dar explained. He expressed gratitude for China's support in safeguarding Pakistan's sovereignty and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for China on its core concerns. Dar emphasized efforts for the settlement of outstanding issues as per international law and inter-state relations norms. He noted the agreement to continue close cooperation at multilateral fora, including the UN Security Council.