Pakistan tells UN Islamabad committed expand CPEC

Islamabad: Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating and expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with plans to extend its benefits to Afghanistan to enhance regional peace and security.

During a UN Security Council debate on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations in New York on Friday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, emphasized the significant impact that connectivity projects through Afghanistan could have on regional stability.

Ambassador Akram lamented that the ambitions of a major state for regional dominance had hindered the potential of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

He advocated for increased regional integration in line with UN principles, underscoring the importance of regional and inter-regional initiatives, in collaboration with the UN, to foster cooperation and understanding in peace, security, and economic development.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, chaired a meeting to review the implementation of decisions related to the CPEC projects. These decisions were particularly those made during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to China.

“There is complete agreement between the leaderships of China and Pakistan on the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, also known as CPEC 2.0,” added Iqbal.

He noted that world leaders are eager to benefit from China’s innovative approach. “As of 2018, Pakistan was the biggest beneficiary of China’s economic model and open market due to CPEC,” he remarked.