BEIJING, Dec 20 (APP):Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for industrial cooperation at the 8th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) held here on Thursday.
The memorandum was signed by Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, Ning Jizhe who also co-chaired the JCC meeting.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Board of Investment Chairman Haroon Sharif, Ambassador of Pakistan to China Masood Khalid, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform Secretary Zafar Hassan, Balochistan Information Minister Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, besides concerned senior officials also participated.
The JCC meeting, first after the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan took charge this year, was held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.
Both sides underscored the significance of the CPEC for win-win cooperation. The two sides reviewed the progress achieved after the 7th JCC meeting and also conducted an in-depth discussion of the future pragmatic cooperation under CPEC.
They also reviewed the progress on the long-term plan for CPEC, energy cooperation, transport infrastructure, Gwadar and industrial cooperation.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved on projects relating to the energy cooperation and transport infrastructure while emphasizing on the need to speed up the work on projects concerning Gwadar and industrial cooperation.
They also discussed the way forward for the effective and timely implantation of various projects under CPEC.
The two sides discussed ways and means to implement the bilateral economic cooperation and further deepen the all weather strategic partnership of the two countries.
They agreed to ensure smooth operation of the completed energy projects, accelerate the construction in progress and make new progress in the field of energy, transportation, infrastructure construction.
They also reviewed the progress to further improve the cooperation mechanism and promote the construction of the corridor to industrial parks, social and people livelihood and other fields.
At the conclusion, the two sides signed minutes of the meetings of JCC and various working groups.
It was decided that the next (9th) JCC will be held in Islamabad next year, the dates for which will be decided by the two sides through mutual consultations.
