ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will attend a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum scheduled to be held in Beijing from Oct. 17-18, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said on Thursday. 

The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing from Oct. 17 to 18 under the theme: ‘High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.’

The BRI, first mentioned by China’s President Xi Jinping during a visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, aims to recreate the ancient Silk Route. On a much larger level, the BRI aims to connect China with a number of countries in its immediate neighborhood and extend to various areas in Europe and Africa. 

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is also a part of the BRI. CPEC is a significant infrastructure development and regional connectivity project launched by Pakistan and China to build a major trade route between the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan and China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.

During a press briefing, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Kakar would attend the event at President Xi Jinping’s invitation and address the high-level forum.

“He will hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese leaders and with a number of leaders attending the forum,” Baloch told reporters. 

The spokesperson said Kakar would meet Chinese entrepreneurs with the aim of expanding trade and investment between Pakistan and China. 

“He will also visit Urumqi in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China to meet with local leaders and businesspersons aiming to enhance trade, investment and people-to-people relations,” Baloch added. 

The spokesperson said in his engagements, Kakar would highlight the key achievements and future priorities of CPEC.