Lisa Curtus, Director of the Indo Pacific Security program at Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) in Washington, called on Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday. Both parties discussed bilateral relationship between Pakistan and US, acknowledging that the United States has been one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Pakistan and remains Pakistan’s largest export market. During the meeting, Lisa Curtus expressed hope that trade and investment relations between the United States and Pakistan will continue to grow, along with multiple exchanges to strengthen people to people ties. Reflecting on the recent commencement of Pakistan's tenure as a non permanent member of Security Council for 2025-2026, Minister reiterated that Pakistan will collaborate with all UN member states to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, prevent war, promote peace, foster global prosperity and ensure universal respect for human rights. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to multilateralism, international law, peaceful settlement of disputes and friendly relations with countries around the world. "It will be a valuable opportunity for Pakistan to foster dialogue on the most pressing global challenges facing the world today," the Minister stated. He said that the current government has strengthened the economy, which had been crippled in the previous government. Highlighting the significance of the recently launched 5 year plan, Uraan Pakistan, Minister Iqbal stated that the government's highest priority area is export expansion. "The government is now in full momentum to reach the target of increasing exports from $30 billion to $100 billion over the next decade, a cornerstone of its long-term economic strategy," stressed the Minister. Minister Iqbal also reflected on Government's achievements during its previous tenure, including the development of Gwadar into a vibrant city, securing a transmission line from Iran for Balochistan, and deepening Gwadar Port to accommodate larger vessels. However, he lamented the setbacks caused by interruptions in these initiatives over recent years. He further said that under the new 5 year plan, the government is working to finish all infrastructure and connectivity projects without any delays and expand access of internet, education and healthcare to all underprivileged parts of Pakistan. Stating that climate change is one of the highest priority areas for the government at present, Minister stated that Pakistan is aiming at developing the local climate finance ecosystem and ensuring equitable participation in climate initiatives, as evident from Pakistan's strong representation at COP29.
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