Islamabad: Officials from Pakistan and China on Monday started an important meeting in connection with 7th session of Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) to discuss and finalize various projects being undertaken in connection with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to be completed in next 13 years.
Today’s meeting, attended by the officials from two countries also finalized the agenda which will be taken up by the Ministers of Planning from Pakistan and China on Tuesday.
Secretary Planning Commission Shoaib Siddiqui while addressing the high officials session said that dependable relationship between Pakistan an China have become more strengthened due to CPEC projects which are under progress.
The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is very important platform, and its meeting on Tuesday will review and finalize a long-term plan (LTP) for 2017-30 highlighting important areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries under CPEC.
The Secretary Planning Commission said that both Pakistan and China are proud to have decades-long friendship and the economic corridor has brought several opportunities to change the fate of the peoples of both countries. He said Pakistan attaches great value to the leadership and public of China for providing help and assistance in completion of the mega project under CPEC in Pakistan.
He said people and governments of Pakistan are fully determined for successful and peaceful completion of the projects under CPEC.
Highlighting the importance of the projects under the CPEC, the Secretary said projects of energy, infrastructure and Gwadar are positively progressing and would be completed very soon. He added that Gwadar is the most important component of the CPEC and is an integral part for regional prosperity and connectivity.
The Secretary Planning Shoaib Siddiqui said the working groups comprised of experts from Pakistan and China have compiled recommendations for achieving more progress in the fields of energy, infrastructure, industrial cooperation and Gwadar.
It is hoped that after the senior officials and ministerial level meeting, both the countries will reach consensus to work with more coordination for the completion of the projects in CPEC in next 13 years with smooth availability of the funds from China. The draft for the sixth JCC meeting was finalized in its last meeting held in Beijing in December last year.
Six groups have been formed on different subjects, which have prepared their recommendations to be discussed in the JCC tomorrow.
The Ministerial meeting of the JCC will be chaired by Planning and Development Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal and Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reforms Commission Wang Xiaotao, who had already arrived Pakistan along with his delegation for this important meeting.
The most important subject of the JCC will be provision of funds by China through China Development Bank, which is the main source of funds for the CPEC and the officials of China Development Bank will give detailed presentation in this meeting.
Another important subject, security to the Chinese working on the CPEC projects, will also came under discussion and the Security Forces of Pakistan will give briefing on this vital subject for which Pakistan had set up a separate security force.
Setting up industrial and economic zones, along CPEC route, will also be discussed and various proposals and plans would be finalized in this regard in this JCC. Special emphasis will be given on early completion of the energy and infrastructure projects in this JCC so that the issue of load-shedding can be resolved by the present government.
The issue of financial regulation and strengthening cooperation in other fields will also be discussed by JCC. There is proposal to develop Gwadar Port on the pattern of Shanghai Free Trade Zone which will be discussed in this JCC.
