ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Senator Ishaq Dar, has held an inter-ministerial meeting to review preparations for the upcoming Pakistan-Qatar Bilateral Political Consultations in Doha next week, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The bilateral talks in Doha, starting on Feb. 5, are expected to cover key areas, including trade, investment, defense collaboration, and mutual diplomatic interests.
Besides leading Pakistan’s delegation at the talks, Dar will hold meetings with the Qatari leadership, a Pakistani foreign office spokesperson said on Friday.
During Sunday’s meeting, officials briefed the deputy prime minister on the status of various Pakistan-Qatar initiatives, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The deputy prime minister and foreign minister underscored that preparations should be made for substantive, productive and result oriented discussions in Doha,” the report read.
The talks come months after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Qatar in Oct. 2024 to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries. Sharif led delegation-level talks with the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, before holding a separate meeting with him to discuss a wide array of issues.
“The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Qatar relations, exploring potential avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, potential areas of investment, energy, and culture,” Sharif’s office said at the time.
Pakistan and Qatar have longstanding economic, defense and cultural relations. In 2022, the Qatar Investment Authority committed $3 billion for projects in Pakistan, spanning airport management, renewable energy and hospitality.
The talks between both countries are occurring at a time when Islamabad is seeking to boost foreign investment and trade to support its dwindling economy, which is on a tricky path to recovery since Pakistan avoided a default in June 2023.
Pakistan deputy PM reviews preparations for key talks with Qatar next week
https://arab.news/mwmp8
Pakistan deputy PM reviews preparations for key talks with Qatar next week
- The bilateral talks in Doha, starting on Feb. 5, are expected to cover areas such as trade, investment and defense collaboration
- They come at a time when Pakistan is seeking to boost foreign investment and trade to put its fragile economy on path of recovery
Pakistan to promote mineral sector at Saudi forum this month with 13 companies
- Delegation will take part in the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh from Jan. 13-15
- Petroleum minister will lead Pakistan, participate in a 90-minute country session
ISLAMABAD: Around 13 Pakistani state-owned and private companies will attend the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 13 to 15, an official statement said on Friday, as the country seeks to ramp up global engagement to develop its mineral resources.
The FMF is an international conference and investment platform for the mining sector, hosted by mineral-rich countries to attract global investors, companies and governments.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed Pakistan’s participation in a meeting with the Saudi envoy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.
Pakistan hosts one of the world’s largest copper-gold zones. The Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan, with an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore, is partly owned by Barrick Gold, which calls it one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold deposits. Its development is expected to boost Pakistan’s struggling economy.
“Upon an invitation of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Federal Minister informed the Ambassador that Pakistan will fully participate in the upcoming Future Minerals Forum (FMF), scheduled to be held in Riyadh later this month,” Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said in an official statement.
The Pakistani minister will lead his country’s delegation at the FMF and take part in a 90-minute country showcase session titled “Unleashing Potential: Accelerating Pakistan’s Mineral Revolution” along with local and foreign investors.
Pakistan will also establish a dedicated pavilion to highlight the vast potential of its rich geological landscape to the global mineral community.
The Saudi envoy welcomed Pakistan’s decision to participate in the forum and discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in the minerals and energy sectors during the meeting.
According to the statement, he highlighted the potential for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the minerals and energy sectors, expressing confidence that the FMF would provide a platform to expand collaboration.
Pakistan’s mineral sector, despite its rich reserves of salt, copper, gold and coal, contributes only 3.2 percent to the country’s GDP and just 0.1 percent to global mineral exports.
However, many countries, including the United States, have shown interest in Pakistan’s underdeveloped mineral sector, particularly in copper, gold and other critical resources.
In October, Pakistan dispatched its first-ever shipment of rare earth and critical minerals to the United States, according to a Chicago-based US public relations firm’s report.
