NEW YORK: Pakistan and Dominica, a Caribbean Island nation, have established formal diplomatic relations at a ceremony held at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations.
Pakistan UN Ambassador Munir Akram and his Dominican counterpart, Ambassador Philbert Aaron, signed a joint communique, to formalize the relationship between their countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Akram said that despite falling in vastly different geographical zones, both Pakistan and Dominica were bound by their love of cricket. He recalled how the West Indies produced cricketing heroes who dominated the game and were a household name in Pakistan.
The Pakistani envoy said that both the countries were also vulnerable to climate change which has emerged as a shared global challenge. Despite making virtually no any contribution to climate change, Pakistan was ranked among the top ten countries affected by global warming. He emphasized the need for building resilience to fight the impacts of climate change.
“The establishment of formal ties between our two nations will ensure a substantive, cooperative relationship,” he added.
In his remarks, Ambassador Aaron thanked the Pakistan Mission for hosting the ceremony, saying the formalization of bilateral ties would open up avenues of cooperation, especially in the fields of sports and climate change.
Ambassador Aaron said that given the challenges of climate change, the future will be massively impacted, which in turn warranted close cooperation.
He expressed his appreciation for the government and the people of Pakistan and expressed the hope of working closely with Pakistan bilaterally as well as at the multilateral forums to promote understanding and mutual interests. –Agencies
