ISLAMABAD, Apr 6 (APP): Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday held an interactive session with the Head of the Trade, Investment, and Innovation Division and a team of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
During the meeting, the UN officials briefed the minister about the role of ESCAP in facilitating the member states in trade promotion and cooperation to learn from one another’s experiences and good practices, said a news release issued here.
The minister emphasized that political stability and continuity were paramount for reaping the dividends of any economic policy.
Jonathan Pincus from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional office joined the session through a video link from Hanoi, Vietnam, making a presentation on Vietnam’s journey of economic progress and development over the years. He also mentioned the factors that played a key role in the spectacular economic growth of Vietnam.
The Director of the Ministry of Commerce in Thailand Sirikan Prasertying made a presentation on Thailand’s journey of economic development and export diversification. She explained the important role of digitization that brought efficiency into the economy. The meeting was followed by a question and answers session.
Professor Ahsan Iqbal thanked the members of UN-ESCAP, UNDP, and representatives of the Thai Ministry of Commerce for making presentations on the economic development experiences of Thailand and Vietnam.
He underscored, “Such engagements always helped in understanding and learning from each others’ experiences.”
The meeting was also joined by the Ambassador of Pakistan in Thailand Sahebzada Ahmed Khan and other officers of the Embassy.