News
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Pakistan, China relations are unique: Khar
* Foreign minister says both countries invested immensely for enhancement of friendship
BEIJING: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Tuesday that Pakistan and China enjoyed unique relations and holding of dialogue was the ongoing process between the two countries.
Talking to media persons on arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, she said that leadership of both countries had invested immensely for enhancement of existing strong bonds of friendship.
She said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had laid the foundation of these bilateral relations and now President Asif Ali Zardari was carrying forward these ties to new heights by frequently visiting China.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also paid several visits, she added. She pointed out that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Pakistan in December last year was also an historic one as it helped in further enhancing the bilateral relations.
The foreign minister said the visit of Premier Wen played an important role in further deepening the depth of existing strong relationship.
She said, “This relationship strongly exists among peoples and governments of two countries and now we want to commensurate these ties with trade, economic and investment cooperation.” The foreign minister said that China was one of the countries with which Pakistan had signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and both the sides could get benefits from FTA. She arrived late on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit on the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.
She said that Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi extended invitation to visit China during her meeting at Bali.
She pointed out that existing strong bonds of friendship between Pakistan and China were multi-faceted and covered all areas including defence, economic and trade ties. “We have strategic and robust relations with China,” she said, adding that one cannot bracket these ties with other countries.
At the Beijing Capital International Airport Khar was warmly greeted by Ambassador Masood Khan, senior diplomats from Pakistan Embassy and officials from Chinese Foreign Ministry. Earlier, Ambassador Masood Khan said, “This is a very important visit coming at a time when Pakistan and China enjoy enviable solidarity in all areas.” Khan pointed out that “the foreign minister’s visit will help us consolidate our strong ties and steer them towards even deeper strategic and political engagement and more productive economic cooperation”.
“It will be a meeting between time-tested and trusted friends and partners,” Khan said and added,” Naturally, regional and international situation will be reviewed by the two sides”.
Symbolically too, Ambassador Khan said, the visit is important because this will be Pakistan foreign minister’s first visit to China after assuming her office.
“The two sides will exchange views on consolidating and deepening the strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan and on other regional and international issues that are of concern to both,” the Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu while making the announcement of Khan’s visit. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk