ISLAMABAD, JUL 29 /DNA/ – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar extended a warm welcome to Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland during her inaugural visit to Pakistan. In his remarks at the Joint Media Stakeout, he praised Ms. Scotland for her eight years of dedicated service and her significant contributions to promoting the values and mission of the Commonwealth and modernizing its outlook.

Her presence in Pakistan today reflects her commitment to strong ties between Pakistan and the Commonwealth. We appreciate her tremendous contributions in promoting cooperation in the field of education, youth empowerment, capacity building and climate action.Secretary General’s personal support and climate advocacy on behalf of Pakistan following the devastating floods of 2022 was instrumental in our recovery efforts.

In our discussions today, I conveyed Pakistan’s deep appreciation and gratitude for her services to the Commonwealth and support for Pakistan.

As a founding member, Pakistan attaches great importance to the Commonwealthand institutions. Itis an important platform for forging consensus and developing partnerships in face of unprecedented global challenges. Its role in upholding the principles and norms of interstate relations is more crucial than ever.

We,therefore,believe that the Commonwealth should call for the resolution of outstanding disputes among Member States with greater urgency and press for the respect of international law and implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions.

In our meeting today, I reassured the Secretary General of Pakistan’s commitment to the Commonwealth Sustainable Development Agenda. Pakistan’s vision of regional connectivity and trade matches with the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda. We are confident that the digital and physical connectivity clusters of the Commonwealth can contribute to developing strong partnerships amongst the member countries in terms of trade and connectivity.

I also conveyed our gratitude to the Secretary General for the technical assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat in trade policy formulation, export development, and support for SMEs. This support is critical in capacity building and improved governance.

We see vast opportunities for collaboration with the Commonwealth in realizing our developmental goals, particularly in education, skills development, youth and women empowerment, health, and environmental preservation. Pakistan will, therefore,continue toengage with the Commonwealth with a special focus on women empowerment and capacity building for the young people.

Pakistan is honored to lead the Commonwealth agenda on youth, reflecting the high priority we place on our partnership with the Commonwealth.We value the support provided by the Commonwealth Youth Programme and are grateful for the support of the Secretary General during Pakistan’s chairmanship of the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting last year.

I also briefed the Secretary General of Pakistan’s policies to combat climate change. As one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan will work with the Commonwealth in building partnerships in developing resilience against climate-induced disasters. We appreciate the Secretary General’s ongoing efforts in supporting Pakistan’s efforts.

Pakistan remains committed to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening and modernizing the Commonwealth to meet 21st-century challenges. We will continue to play an active role in building bridges between the Commonwealth Secretariat and Member States and advancing Commonwealth reforms through our leadership of the Informal Working Group of the Board of Governors.

The Prime Minister looks forward to participating in the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October in Samoa. I am also eager to engage with my counterparts at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meetings.

In conclusion, let me reiterate Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and our partnership with the Commonwealth.

We thank the Secretary General for her leadership during a period of great global change and appreciate her constructive. We honour the legacy she is leaving behind.