SANA

BEIJING, (SANA): The Economic Cooperation Group (ECG) of Pakistan and China for the implementation of Joint Five Year Programme for Trade and Economic Cooperation will be held in coming August.

The two sides also agreed to convene Joint Economic Commission meeting in near future.

The decision to this effect has been taken in a meeting held between Secretary General to the President of Pakistan Salman Faruqui and Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce (MOFCOM) Mr. Chen Jian.

During the meeting both sides also reviewed whole range of bilateral economic, commercial and trade relations between the two countries.

The Secretary General underlined that the President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari has sent him to China to expedite all economic projects currently under implementation between the two countries.

He highlighted that the President Zardari accords highest importance to the economic development of Pakistan.

He stated that President of Pakistan is keenly interested in the development of energy, housing, infrastructure development, small and medium sized dams, water conservancy and water reservoirs in all the four provinces, as well as agriculture, hybrid seeds and social sector development.

Faruqui mentioned that despite tremendous difficulties, Pakistani economy had recovered noticeably since the present democratic government took charge of the affairs.

The Chinese Vice Minister (MOFCOM) said that Pakistan and China were ‘all-weather friends’, close associates and intimate partners.

He reiterated Chinese government’s commitment to extend all sorts of assistance and cooperation to Pakistan. Agreeing to the difficulties, Pakistan is currently facing in the economic filed, the Chinese Vice Minister appreciated government’s measures to handle the situation cropped-up due to displacement of millions of people in Swat and Malakand.

The Secretary General mentioned that China was the first country to extend financial and material support to the internally displaced persons in Pakistan.

Ends-SANA-AR