'Economic diplomacy' at core of Pakistan’s foreign policy now: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday underscored that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remained one of the top national priorities of Pakistan, and the government’s post-Covid-19 recovery, response and climate-resilience solutions were in line with the UN Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development.

He expressed these views while inaugurating Pakistan’s country presentation at the virtual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Investment Fair 2021, organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in New York.

The foreign minister, in his video address to a global audience of private sector investors, businesses, members of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, multilateral and bilateral development actors, governments, UN agencies and other stakeholders, said that Pakistan was an emerging market with great opportunities for investments in its growing economy.

'Economic diplomacy at core of Pakistan’s foreign policy now'

He underscored that economic diplomacy was now at the core of Pakistan’s foreign policy, corresponding to the leadership’s vision of an economically secure Pakistan with a shift in emphasis towards geo-economics.

Also read Pakistan centre-point for economic development, says PM

Highlighting the country’s potential, the foreign minister stressed that Pakistan offers pivotal geo-economic location, regional connectivity, a huge consumer market with an expanding middle class, and a large segment of skilled, vibrant and youthful population to its valued investors.

In addition to highlighting the importance of the private sector for achieving SDGs, the foreign minister emphasised that Pakistan’s continued impressive progress on the Ease-of-Doing Business rankings was a reflection of the growing confidence of investors in the recent policies of the government.

The SDG Investment Fair is an annual platform with the goal of facilitating new partnership opportunities to generate regional and global investments in social impact projects of developing countries.

This year’s edition has been organised in a virtual format on the sidelines of the Forum on Financing for Development that is being held under Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

In collaboration with the UN Development Programme, Pakistan presented a portfolio of investment-ready sustainable development projects at the fair worth US$ 2 billion, primarily in the sectors of climate change, infrastructure, and information technology, to attract international private sector investments from around the globe.