BEIJING (INP): Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid rich tributes to the Chinese leadership for the OBOR’s initiative, stating that this will go a long way in improving the livelihood of the poor and marginalized section of the society.
Addressing the plenary session of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation here on Sunday, he said President Xi Jinping deserved great appreciation for his revolutionary and visionary approach towards peace and development.
Stating that OBOR is a socio-economic agenda, Nawaz Sharif said peace and development go hand in hand, and nothing could pave the path for peace and security more than economic development achieved through regional collaboration.
“OBOR signifies that geo-economics must take precedence over geo-politics, and that the centre of gravity should shift from conflict to cooperation” he said.
He congratulated China for hosting this spectacular “Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation” and for choosing a very apt theme for this Summit: “Cooperation for Common Prosperity”.
Terming it as a historic event, the Prime Minister said, it will build critical pathways in the years to come for economic and financial cooperation, business-to-business collaboration, and people-to-people contacts. He was here to celebrate the remarkable success of the seminal initiative of the “One Belt, One Road”, shoulder to shoulder with our close friend and trusted ally, China, and the other world leaders present here.
He said, ”we admire and commend China’s vision and ingenuity in developing corridors across regions; in building supportive financial institutions such as the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and above all, in launching China Railway Express trains that construct a new bridge on the Eurasian landmass.”
He noted that “One Belt-One Road” is an inter-continental mega-project that integrates infrastructure, energy, trade, telecommunications, investment and industrial development.
Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif said believes that the most powerful impact of OBOR will be on the lives of poor and marginalised people, who would have higher incomes, better education and more health facilities. It would help in eradicating poverty and achieving Sustainable Development, leaving no one behind.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a core project of OBOR. In fact, it has been rightly called its flagship because it aims to connect the neighbourhoods of East and West Asia. CPEC makes Pakistan both a conduit and destination for cross-regional investment and trade.
About the CPEC, Nawaz Sharif said, it is a project owned and nurtured by all citizens of Pakistan. It is also fully compatible with our own Vision 2025, which invests our resources in multiple corridors of regional cooperation, including energy, industry, trade and transportation.
