Islamabad, Aug 3: Pakistan recently reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Commonwealth’s ambitious goal of reaching a USD 2 trillion trade volume among member states by 2030.
According to specifics, Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister of Pakistan, and Patricia Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth, emphasized the commitment at their meeting in Islamabad. Secretary-General Scotland and Deputy Prime Minister Dar spoke about a number of crucial topics during her five-day visit to Pakistan, including development, education, youth and women’s empowerment, and climate change. Following their meeting, Dar gave a press conference where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Commonwealth’s trade promotion objectives.
He underlined Pakistan’s strategic goal of developing into a hub for regional trade, which intends to generate employment opportunities for young people and promote beneficial collaboration. Dar emphasized the Commonwealth as a forum for fostering global consensus and applauded Scotland’s plan to increase intra-Commonwealth trade to USD 2 trillion by 2030. Additionally, he reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to principles like respect for sovereignty, development by communication, and peace. Scotland praised Pakistan’s continued assistance and efforts to recover from the 2022 floods, which severely affected millions of people. She recognized Pakistan’s potential in the digital and AI-enabled world as well as its contribution to the advancement of Commonwealth ideals. Pakistan’s population is composed of 65% people under 30.
She emphasized how important it is for young people to shape the Commonwealth’s future. The Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment (CCA), which aims to improve trade and investment within the Commonwealth, was also discussed at the summit. Launched during the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the CCA aims to promote best practices and domestic reforms through digitization in order to reach the USD 2 trillion trade target.
Dar outlined Pakistan’s continued attempts to improve regional connectivity, such as the construction of a railway connecting Uzbekistan and talks with Turkmenistan over the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline. Even though the TAPI pipeline project is experiencing difficulties, Pakistan’s advantageous position is thought to be essential for linking the countries of Central Asia with international markets. Reiterating Pakistan’s dedication to furthering the Commonwealth’s objectives with a particular emphasis on connectivity, Dar resiliency to climate change and education.
He gave Secretary-General Patricia Scotland high marks for her vision, leadership, and efforts to updating the Commonwealth’s perspective. He also acknowledged her assistance following the 2022 floods. Pakistan’s reaffirmed commitment demonstrates its proactive involvement in advancing the Commonwealth’s objectives and its strategic vision for the connectedness of trade on a regional and global scale.
