Iqbal says wide-range cooperation vital for economic development, prosperity

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who also holds the portfolio of Planning, Development and Reforms, has stressed the need for enhancing cooperation among the ECO member states for economic development and prosperity.

Addressing the opening session of the four-day 28^th meeting of Regional Planning Council of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the minister urged the participants to enhance focus on development of human resources to achieve economic goals.

He said the world is facing challenges of eradicating terrorism and extremism as well as maintaining law and order as peace is inevitable for development.

Ahsan Iqbal said we will have to ensure conservation of natural resources for our future generations.

He said enhanced cooperation has been must for economic development and prosperity, adding that no country in the world can overcome economic problems on its own.

Every country will have to play its part for bringing prosperity to the region, he stressed and added by 2050 the Asia will make up 50 per cent of the world economy.

Iqbal said the region also faces a challenge of coping with climate changes as they were having a telling effect on the economic development.

Later, talking to the media, the minister said the incumbent government has addressed the problems of power blackouts and terrorism.

He said the country has achieved the highest growth rate under the PML-N government and its growth target for the current fiscal year is six percent.

He said Central Asian countries are evincing great interest in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects for trade through Gwadar Port.

The four-day 28th meeting of Regional Planning Council of Economic Cooperation Organization has been underway in Islamabad on Monday.

ECO Special Conference on Afghanistan is also planned to be held on the sidelines of the meeting. The “ECO Day 2017″will also be celebrated on the sidelines of the meeting on Thursday.