PM to attend Belt and Road Forum in Beijing

Two countries will sign MoUs, accords in diverse areas

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China next week to attend the Belt and Road Forum, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday.

This will be the prime minister’s second visit to Beijing. He earlier travelled to China in November last year.

“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Imran Khan is visiting China from April 25 to 28, 2019 to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

“The forum will be inaugurated by President Xi Jinping on April 26,” said an official handout issued by the Foreign Office.

According to the statement, the Belt and Road Forum provides a platform to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for exchanging views and experiences on regional connectivity; policy synergy; socioeconomic development and trade and commerce.

Leaders from 40 countries and delegations from over 100 countries, international organisations and corporate sector would participate in the event.

During the visit, the prime minister will be accompanied by a ministerial delegation. He will deliver a keynote speech in the opening ceremony of the forum and participate in the Leaders’ Round Table. He would also hold meetings with several heads of states/governments and corporate and business leaders.

In addition to participating in the Belt and Road Forum, the prime minister would also hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Pakistan and China will also sign several MoUs and agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.

Following the forum, the prime minister will attend the Beijing International Horticulture Exhibition-2019 and address Pakistan Trade and Investment conference in Beijing.

New Foreign Secretary assumes the charge

Meanwhile, Sohail Mahmood on Wednesday assumed the responsibilities as new foreign secretary.

Sohail, who was serving as high commissioner to India, has replaced Tehmina Janjua after she reached the age of superannuation.

The foreign secretary is a career Foreign Service officer with diplomatic experience spanning over three decades that includes various assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Pakistan’s missions abroad in both bilateral and multilateral arenas.

Prior to his appointment as foreign secretary, Sohail served as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India from August 2017 to April 2019.

Earlier, he served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey (with concurrent accreditation to Macedonia and Kosovo) from 2015 to 2017, and as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Thailand & Permanent Representative to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok, from 2009 to 2013.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1985.

At the headquarters, he worked as Desk Officer for the South Asia region from 1987 to 1988 and again from 1990 to 1991. He later worked as Director (Iran and Turkey) from 1995-1998; as Director General (Americas) from 2005-2008; Director General, Foreign Secretary’s Office (FSO) in 2009; and as Additional Secretary (Afghanistan/West Asia) from 2013-2015.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood’s diplomatic assignments abroad also included working at Pakistan’s Missions in Ankara, Washington as well as New York, including as Political Coordinator for Pakistan’s delegation to UN Security Council in 2003-2004.

Ambassador Sohail Mahmood holds a Masters degree in International Affairs (M.I.A.) from the Columbia University, New York, as well as a Masters in History from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.

He is married and has three children.