GILGIT, Sep 22 (APP):European Union Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis, Council of the European Union representative Jeroen Willem Jan Maria and First Secretary Alejandro called on Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Amjad Hussain on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in development, climate resilience, energy and tourism sectors. Welcoming the EU ambassador and his delegation, the chief minister said the European Union’s role in the development of the remote and mountainous region was highly appreciable. He …
EU ambassador, GB CM discuss climate resilience, energy, tourism sectors
GILGIT, Sep 22 (APP):European Union Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis, Council of the European Union representative Jeroen Willem Jan Maria and First Secretary Alejandro called on Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Amjad Hussain on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in development, climate resilience, energy and tourism sectors.
Welcoming the EU ambassador and his delegation, the chief minister said the European Union’s role in the development of the remote and mountainous region was highly appreciable.
He said the difficult mountainous geography of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) had made the provision of basic facilities in remote areas a major challenge for the government.
He said GB was home to the largest concentration of glaciers in the region and climate change had increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, causing damage to houses, crops and other infrastructure.
He said the provincial government had established a Glacier Protection Authority to help protect glaciers and address risks associated with natural disasters.
The Chief Minister said the Rural Development and Climate Resilience Project, supported by the European Union and AFD, would help address the impacts of climate change, provide clean drinking water, overcome the energy crisis, promote economic activities and improve basic facilities for the people.
He said development of rural areas, provision of basic facilities and ensuring equal development opportunities were among the priorities of the GB government. He said the provincial government had recommended to the federal government the construction of an international airport in Gilgit to promote tourism and economic activities in the region.
He said attention was also being given to improving road infrastructure to provide better transportation facilities to tourists.
The chief minister said GB was a unique tourist destination, known for its peaceful environment, scenic beauty and distinctive culture.
He said the provincial government was taking measures to overcome the power crisis in GB and added that, if the agreement with N-Pak to address the ongoing power crisis in Hunza proved successful, the model could also be extended to other areas of the province.
Speaking on the occasion, EU Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis said the European Union was cooperating with the provincial government to promote economic activities, provide basic facilities to the people and address the challenges facing GB.
He said the Rural Development and Climate Resilience Project would support agriculture, address climate change challenges, protect glaciers, help overcome the energy crisis and provide technical training, besides contributing to efforts to address other key challenges.
The EU ambassador appreciated the positive policies of the GB government and assured continued cooperation for the region’s development.
