Pakistan aims to intensify trade with Africa, says Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan’s ‘Engage Africa’ policy is aimed at enhancing its diplomatic footprint and intensifying trade with Africa.

In a meeting with Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Chief of Staff of Land Forces Lt Gen Asinda Fall, who is on a six-day visit to the country at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, Qureshi underlined government’s vision, which is rooted in geo-economics.

During the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction over bilateral cooperative and cordial ties. Coordination of positions and mutual support for each other’s candidatures at multilateral fora was also flagged during the meeting.

The foreign minister expressed pride in Pakistan’s steadfast and unmatched support and contribution to peacekeeping, peace-building and peacemaking effort in DRC with 53,000 uniformed personnel under United Nations (UN) auspices from 2003.

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He praised the Congolese President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo’s contribution to promoting democracy and ably steering African Union as its chairperson.

Qureshi also conveyed an invitation to his counterpart Cristophe Lutundula Apala to visit to Pakistan.

He offered further training opportunities for DRC diplomats at Foreign Service Academy (FSA) in Islamabad and urged the Congolese side to avail Pakistan’s Technical Assistance Programme facility for its youth in fields of medicine, pharmacy and engineering.

The foreign minister also conveyed greetings from President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Congolese president.