ISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (APP): Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong called on Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed here on Tuesday and discussed progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

During the meeting, the minister felicitated the Chinese leadership for the successful holding of the 3rd Belt and Road (BRI) Forum-2023 last month and appreciated the Vision of President Xi Jinping who identified eight areas of cooperation, a news release said.

The Secretary Ministry of Planning and the CPEC Project Director also attended the meeting, which “discussed progress on the ongoing CPEC projects and future outlook”.

The two sides reiterated the resolve to further strengthen relations between the two countries.

The Planning Minister said President Xi’s Vision would have a strong impact on the implementation of phase–II of the CPEC and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to accelerate the implementation of the projects.

It is noted that the second Phase of CPEC has already started as both countries have been celebrating the decade of CPEC.

Highlighting the ongoing development projects under CPEC, particularly after the successful BRI forum, the minister informed the envoy that the Planning Ministry frequently reviewed the progress in order to ensure their timely completion.

Sami Saeed highlighted the significance of ML-1 and Karachi Curricular Railways (KCR) projects, considered to be ‘strategic interventions.

He also emphasized the importance of new areas like Science & Technology, Agriculture and Mining. “These areas will have a great economic impact,” he added.

While highlighting the significance of Gwadar, both sides highlighted key interventions to transform the socio-economy of the city through a high-quality vocational training institution, desalination plant and state of the art hospital.

The minister said all the ongoing projects were progressing well.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to implement CPEC as it had achieved fruitful outcomes covering major areas like infrastructure, energy and others.

He appreciated the efforts of the Planning Ministry which not only played a vital role in the implementation of CPEC but also made significant contributions to promoting Pakistan’s economic and social development, upgrading infrastructure, improving Pakistani people’s well-being, enhancing people-to-people contacts and deepening regional connectivity.

Both sides agreed to follow up the CPEC progress and mutually identify new areas of cooperation in the light of President Xi’s Vision.