ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and China have agreed to start the ML-1 project on priority basis and also decided to include a new area of water resource management and climate change in the portfolio of Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was organized keeping in view the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China, scheduled on November 1, in which all important MoUs will be formally signed, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said while briefing media regarding the decisions taken in the meeting of 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which was held here on Thursday. The meeting which was held through video conference was cochaired by Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal and China’s National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Chairman Lin Nianxiu. During the meeting, Pakistan also assured Chinese counterparts to continue to beef up the security of Chinese working under CPEC projects and informed that several initiatives have been taken by Pakistani authorities in this regard. The minister said that there were three basic target or objectives of the 11th JCC which includes the revival of CPEC, which has been revived since the government came into power in April this year. Another objective was the inclusion of new projects which will increase the CPEC’s portfolio and third was business to business (B2B) cooperation, which was earlier based on government to government (G2G). Ahsan Iqbal said that both sides expressed satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC while several projects were proposed. Pakistan and China also agreed to start the ML-1 project which was considered to be the backbone of the CPEC and remained neglected in the past. In reply to a query regarding the details of the ML-1 project, he said that the financing framework for the ML-1 has been agreed in principle during the meeting, however; it is not being formally announced and will be made public during prime minister’s upcoming visit to China. Ahsan Iqbal said that it was agreed to include a new area of water resource management and climate change which will have great importance especially after the recent flood which badly affected Pakistan. The planning minister said that Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was also discussed in length, and it has been agreed that the project is proposed to be implemented under G2G arrangement on the lines of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (OLMTP). In reply to query regarding the JCC decisions regarding energy sector, the minister said that the financial closure of three energy sector projects including Thar Block-1, Kohala hydro project and Azad Pattan has been agreed during the meeting. Similarly, the meeting discuss the government of Pakistan’s initiative to include 10,000 MW of solar energy in national grid system. The Pakistan side also requested China to create a financing window or a credit line for Chinese companies, participating in this project, he added.