Bilawal backs steps for financial inclusion in Pakistan

FM holds meeting with Queen Maxima, Romanian, Finnish counterparts on fringes of annual Davos meet

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday Pakistan was fully committed to the promotion of financial inclusion in the country and highlighted the initiatives aimed at facilitating women’s participation and integration in the national economy, the Foreign Office said in a press release.

Bilawal, who is in Davos to represent Pakistan at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), met with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and his counterparts, Bogdan Aurescu of Romania and Pekka Haavisto of Finland on the sidelines of the Davos forum.

In a meeting with Queen Maxima, also the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, the foreign minister highlighted that Pakistan’s efforts through the Roshan Digital Account initiative would improve access to the country’s banking services to the overseas Pakistanis.

As part of the National Digital Infrastructure Development Strategy, the foreign minister emphasised, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had successfully operationalised the instant digital micropayments gateway called RAAST.

In a separate press release, the foreign said that Bilawal and Romanian Foreign Minister Aurescu discussed bilateral matters including mutual cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, development and education as well as collaboration at multilateral forums.

Foreign Minister Bilawal underscored that Pakistan attached high importance to its relations with Romania, both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union. “The two ministers also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the press release added.

While talking to his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, Bilawal expressed the hope that Finland’s embassy would be reopened in Islamabad, which would help facilitate trade relations as well as promote people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

The Foreign Office said that the two foreign ministers discussed the state of bilateral relations as well as regional and global matters. Bilawal stressed that Pakistan valued Finland as an important bilateral partner as well as a key member of the European Union.

The foreign minister expressed Pakistan’s resolve to further solidify its political and economic relations with Finland. He particularly stressed on the need for enhancing commercial ties and investment cooperation. Both the foreign ministers agreed to work together for promoting bilateral ties.