China debt: Pak FO seeks to ease US concerns

INTERNATIONAL DESK :The Foreign Office on Thursday responded to US concerns over Chinese debt and emphasised that being a sovereign state, Pakistan exercises the right to choose its economic partners from around the globe on a mutually-beneficial basis.

Responding to media queries during her weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistani nation is proud of its friendship with China which has always stood by Pakistan whenever needed.

“Pakistan being a sovereign state exercises the right to choose its economic partners from around the globe on a mutually-beneficial basis. We consider China as an all-weather strategic cooperative partner,” she said.

She added that China has been a consistent, generous, and steadfast friend that has stood by Pakistan for the last several decades. “The Pakistani nation is proud of its friendship with China which has always come to Pakistan’s assistance when needed,” she added.

During his recent visit to Pakistan, the US State Department Counselor, Derek Chollet, voiced Biden administration’s concerns over Pakistan’s debt owed to China at a time when Islamabad is seeking a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“We have been very clear about our concerns not just here in Pakistan, but elsewhere all around the world about Chinese debt, or debt owed to China,” Chollet had told a select group of journalists at the US Embassy in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said that the 9th Pakistan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting is currently underway in Washington DC.

The TIFA Council is co-chaired by Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar and the US Trade Representative, Katherine Tai.

She said the TIFA provides a forum for the two countries to discuss bilateral trade and investment including exploring access for Pakistani exports to the US market.

During the meeting, she said that the two sides will review the progress in trade, investment, agriculture, food security, and IT cooperation since the TIFA inter-sessional meeting held last year. They will also discuss modalities to further strengthen trade ties in a mutually beneficial manner, she added.

She said that the TIFA Council meeting is another important milestone in the series of high-level bilateral engagements with the US this year. “It signifies the importance attached by both sides to add positive momentum in pursuing a broad-based bilateral agenda of cooperation,” she added. Last US-Pakistan TIFA Council meeting was held in Islamabad in 2016.

Responding to a question about the Wednesday’s visit by a high-level delegation to Kabul, she said that the delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif discussed all aspects of security and counterterrorism with the interim Afghan government authorities.

She said that the growing threat of terrorism in the region, particularly by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP, was discussed. She added that the two sides agreed to collaborate to effectively address the threat of terrorism posed by terrorist entities and organisations, adding that it was also agreed to strengthen multifaceted bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Commenting on the recent violence in the West Bank where 11 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli forces, she said that Pakistan condemns all acts that lead to the killing of innocent civilians including in occupied Palestinian territories.

She said that Pakistan’s position on Palestine is consistent, adding that Pakistan supports a comprehensive approach to the resolution of the Palestinian issue. “Pakistan has maintained that there should be a total withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Arab territories including Jerusalem. There should be restitution of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination and sovereignty in an independent and viable State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital,” she added.

She called for a just resolution to the plight of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution.

She also stated that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is leading a Pakistani delegation to the 8th meeting of the Uzbek-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) being held in Tashkent on Thursday. The Uzbek side will be led by Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade LazizKudratov.

“The meeting will focus on bilateral economic cooperation in various sectors including trade and investment, agriculture, education, science and technology, tourism, transport and communication,” she added.

About the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she said that Pakistan remains concerned at the ongoing human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. She said Pakistan will continue to raise its voice against grave human rights violations in the occupied territory.

About the Russia-Ukraine conflict, she said Pakistan believes that peace and dialogue are important in the resolution of this conflict as well, adding that it is a reflection of the failure of diplomacy. She further stated that Pakistan remains committed to upholding the UN Charter.

She also announced that Pakistan will host a one-day conference on “Women in Islam: Understanding the Rights and Identity of Women in the Islamic World” on March 8 at the UN headquarters on the sidelines of the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.(BUSINESS RECORDER)