FM Qureshi says economic stability essential for best foreign policy

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said as economic stability was essential for the best foreign policy.

FM Qureshi while presiding over a high-level meeting about economic diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the volume of trade and exports with different countries must be improved to strengthen the national economy.

The meeting was attended through video-link by 30 ambassadors from Pakistan’s missions abroad.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said in order to implement the vision of PM Imran Khan and to strengthen Pakistan’s economic and trade relations, Pakistan has practically started economic diplomacy.

He expressed his pleasure over the efforts being made by various missions to promote and strengthen the country’s trade and economic relations, and the positive results.

FM recalled that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce organized an “Engage Africa” conference in 2019 for the promotion of trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Africa.

The foreign minister said the first Pakistan Africa Trade Development Conference was successfully held in Nairobi on January 30-31 in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce.

Under the “Connect FM” program invited the top businessmen to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and exchanged in detail the views concerning economic diplomacy and conveyed their recommendations to the country’s diplomats abroad, he added.

Referring to the coronavirus plague, FM said there was a need to work hard to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and achieve economic stability.

The foreign minister was briefed by the ambassadors about their efforts to achieve Pakistan’s trade targets set for their respective countries.