Commonwealth secretary-general arrives in Pakistan
- By Raja Mohsin Ijaz -
- Jul 28, 2024
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC arrived here in the early hours of Sunday on her first official visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of the Government of Pakistan.
On her arrival at Islamabad Airport, she was received by Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe) Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan.
During her five-day visit from July 28 to August 2, 2024, Secretary-General Scotland will meet with Pakistan’s leadership, members of the cabinet, youth leaders, civil society representatives and other stakeholders.
The Commonwealth secretary-general will reaffirm her solidarity with Pakistan on the second anniversary of the catastrophic 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and caused more than $30 billion in damage.
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She is also likely to tour some of the areas that were affected by the floods.
During the Secretary-General’s visit, the two sides would also discuss avenues to enhance cooperation between Pakistan and the Commonwealth in other areas of shared interest, including supporting Pakistan’s national development plan, empowering youth, and boosting trade and investment.
As one of the organisation’s founding members, Pakistan values the Commonwealth as an important forum for forging consensus on global issues and challenges.