By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Djibouti on Wednesday reiterated their desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of commerce, culture and defence.
This was discussed at a meeting between President Dr Arif Alvi and the visiting Djibouti parliamentary delegation, led by President of National Parliament of Djibouti and acting-Chairman of African Union Parliament, Mohamed Ali Houmed here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
While welcoming the delegation, the President said that Pakistan and Djibouti enjoyed excellent relations and Pakistan wanted to further improve defence and economic ties with Djibouti for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries.
He appreciated the visit of Parliamentary delegation and expressed the hope it would further strengthen the existing foundation of strong bilateral relations between the two countries. He said that Pakistan highly valued its ties with Djibouti and had decided to open its embassy there and resident diplomatic missions in other African countries.
The President sought the support of the Government of Djibouti to expeditiously process and clear Pakistani goods at Djibouti port meant for Ethiopia and other destinations in the Horn of Africa. He also highlighted the atrocities and human rights violations being committed by India against the Muslim population in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The President emphasized the need for a unified call from international community to put pressure on India to stop human rights violations and grant Kashmiris their right to self-determination as promised under the UN Security Council resolutions.President of National Parliament of Djibouti underscored the need for expanding bilateral cooperation in every sphere, including culture, trade and defence. He said that Gwadar and Djibouti ports would help boost trade between the two brotherly countries.
Both sides emphasized the need for parliamentary, cultural and defence exchanges which would help in bringing the two countries further closer.
Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday said that the government was striving to create equitable opportunities for growth and development in the country. The president, in a meeting with a delegation of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), said the business atmosphere had improved in the country due to the reforms and prudent policies being pursued by the government.
Entrepreneurs Organization, is a global non-profit organization and a high-quality support network of over 14,000 like-minded leaders across 61 countries. It helps entrepreneurs achieve their full potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences and collaborative learning. The president told the delegation that owing to govt’s pro-business policies and facilitations, Pakistan’s global ranking in ease of doing business had improved by 28 points.
