KARACHI: Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Wednesday to oversee business-to-business agreements with Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) member states and promote regional cooperation, the IT ministry said.
Khawaja arrived in Bishkek from Baku, where she attended the World Telecommunication Development Conference, which featured key discussions on shaping the digital future.
CAREC is a regional platform of 11 countries that work together to promote development through regional cooperation. The inter-government body aims for economic growth and poverty reduction among member states. Member nations include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
“The federal minister will participate in the signing ceremony of B2B MoUs between Pakistani companies and CAREC member countries,” the IT ministry said.
It added that Khawaja will attend the CAREC Ministerial Conference’s opening session during her two-day visit, where she will present Pakistan’s position during a key session: “Soft Infrastructure and Digital Connectivity.”
“In her address, the minister will highlight the importance of regional digital cooperation, smart connectivity and digital integration,” the IT ministry said.
Khawaja will also meet the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) president during her stay in Bishkek. The minister will discuss new opportunities for digital connectivity, investment and regional cooperation with the ADB, the ministry added.
Pakistan has recently bolstered its efforts to promote digital cooperation and connectivity with regional allies Saudi Arabia and China.
On the sidelines of the World Telecommunication Conference, Khawaja proposed joint ventures in 5G/6G, hardware manufacturing, and ICT components with China.
Meanwhile, the IT minister told Arab News earlier this month that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are moving to link digital skills training directly to jobs and joint tech ventures under a new AI partnership which is being rolled out between the two countries.
