On October 12, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will go to Astana, Kazakhstan, to take part in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia’s 6th Summit (CICA).
The Foreign Office (FO) stated in a news release on Tuesday that the PM will be accompanied by cabinet members and senior officials.
The PM will emphasise on the importance of CICA as a special forum for fostering engagement, understanding, and collaboration among nations across Asia to address shared challenges in his address to the plenary meeting.
According to the statement, PM Shehbaz would emphasise Pakistan’s viewpoint on regional and international concerns, as Pakistan is one of CICA’s founding members.
According to FO, “The Prime Minister’s participation in the CICA Summit attests to the priority accorded by Pakistan to fostering connectivity and economic cooperation in Asia.”
Shehbaz will undertake bilateral discussions with the leaders of several CICA Member States on the sidelines of the summit in an effort to promote deeper collaboration, notably in the areas of commerce, investment, and energy, according to FO.
CICA is an intergovernmental organisation that was founded in 1992 and consists of 27 nations from all around Asia. It aims on advancing stability, safety, and socioeconomic growth across Asia.
Through debate and mutually beneficial cooperation, CICA provides an indispensable platform for furthering the goals of regional peace and prosperity.
In five major categories—the economic, environmental, human, new challenges and threats, and military-political dimensions—it encourages confidence-building approaches.
In the meantime, FO has asked the secretaries of the Power, Petroleum, and Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ministries to contribute pertinent information, including particular briefs and talking points for inclusion in the brief for the prime minister.
In order to discuss potential options for gas imports, petroleum imports, and gas swaps with Kazakhstan, the petroleum ministry is already in contact with its Kazakh counterpart. The Commerce Ministry has also held discussions to conclude the Transit Commerce Agreement, identify obstacles affecting bilateral trade, propose remedies, and go through potential directions for trade expansion.
