ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said as economic diplomacy was need of the hour the government had placed economic revival and growth at the highest pedestal of its reforms agenda.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day Envoys Conference on Economic Diplomacy opened here to attract foreign investment in the country.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan was the sixth most populous country, with the third largest number of English speakers, and a growing number of Chinese and Arabic speakers.

He said more than half of its population was less than 25 years of age making it larger than 179 countries in terms of demography. The Foreign Minister said Pakistan had one of the largest irrigation systems, the biggest producer of cotton and dairy products and the largest reserves of coal, salt and other minerals.

He said Pakistan provides overland route to three key regions and economic powerhouses including South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East.

Qureshi said while pooling expertise and resources, the country needed to evolve genuine partnerships and build real synergies within departments, with the private sector, academia and research community.

He expressed the confidence that this conference would be able to produce insights, and come up with a plan of action and implementable recommendations.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Asad Umar emphasized on enhancing exports, employment, and foreign investment to steer the countrymen out of poverty. He said new markets for Pakistani products should be our focus.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce Abddul Razzaq Dawood said that the conference was aimed at collective efforts for economic development of the country.

Razzak Dawood said the government was focusing on engineering, chemical, and information technology sectors to enhance exports. He said new policy would be introduced for revival and promotion of industrial sector. Pakistan’s Ambassadors and Heads of Missions from select capitals, representatives of public and private sectors, and government institutions are participating in the conference.

Earlier in the day, Qureshi said Pakistan was determined to build a strong, connected and stable zone in the sub-continent.

The minister, who returned from a four-nation tour, tweeted that he “carried out extensive shuttle diplomacy to reach out to regional partners in order to foster greater understanding and cooperation between all stakeholders on regional peace and security with focus on promoting the ongoing peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.”

Earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan greatly valued its relations with Russia and expressed Islamabad’s desire to forge a long-term, multidimensional partnership and friendship with Moscow. He expressed this resolve during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov

The two sides agreed to continue efforts for supporting reconciliation under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

They also discussed various bilateral and regional issues including the recent developments concerning the Afghan peace process.

Acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts in the Afghan settlement, Russian Foreign Minister offered Russia’s support to bring stability in the region.

Yesterday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said Pakistan aimed to play a constructive role to promote harmony and normalcy in Afghanistan.

At his weekly media briefing here, the spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Qureshi had completed a positive visit to China, Afghanistan, Iran and Moscow and it helps generate consensus within the stakeholders to advance the normalcy in Afghanistan.

Dr Faisal said the visit was part of government’s policy to strengthen relations with important actors of the world. He said the Foreign Minister would also visit Qatar in this regard.

The spokesperson said Pakistan’s position to give normalcy a chance in Afghanistan has become the basis for the world consensus.

Dr Faisal said recent developments in Afghanistan include “Moscow Format Consultations”, “Geneva conference on Afghanistan” and the “Abu Dhabi Meeting” had led to widely acknowledged pact.

He said the new development in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s important role as facilitator, has provided a significant chance to also strengthen bilateral knots with other players to promote trade, economic and other linkages.  Dr Faisal maintained India had no role to play in Afghanistan.

During his just completed four-day tour, Qureshi visited Afghanistan, Iran and China where he discussed over issues pertaining to regional peace and stability in the context of Afghan peace process with his counterparts and other high ranking officials’.

During these meetings, the FM renewed Pakistan’s commitment to assist in furthering peace in Afghanistan and the region.

After his visit to Kabul – where he had ‘productive meetings’ with the Afghan leadership including President Ashraf Ghani -  the Afghan government and the Taliban agreed for peace talks.

Later, Qureshi had said he had “productive meetings” over the peace process with the Taliban. “I’ve had productive meetings with the Afghan leadership this morning,” Qureshi wrote on Twitter. “The peace process is making positive headway.”

The FM met Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and President Ashraf Ghani in the first stop of his three-day tour of four countries which also included Iran, China, and Russia.

Salahuddin Rabbani said on Twitter that he discussed “issues of great importance” with Qureshi. Afghanistan has long had troubled relations with Pakistan, which Kabul and Washington accuse of harboring the Taliban leadership, a claim Islamabad has denied.

The Taliban had originally refused to enter into dialogue with the Afghan government’s representatives. However, ‘acknowledging’ Pakistan’s diplomatic move, they ‘conditionally’ agreed to negotiate with the government.

This week, Pakistan and China also reiterated their support to Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in Afghanistan. During a meeting between Foreign Minister Qureshi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and regional matters including the situation in Afghanistan.