ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Monday reach Kuwait on a three-day visit to lead Pakistani’s delegation to the first ever Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit being held there from October 15 to 17.
The ACD, which draws its membership from across Asia, is a Thai initiative and it was launched in 2002 in Bangkok. At present, the organisation has 31 members and Pakistan is one of its founding members.
“The ACD will provide a useful platform to discuss cooperation in many areas of common interest including energy, agriculture, tourism, environment and finance,” said the prime minister told the media here at Chaklala Air Base before his departure.
He said this forum provides an opportunity to further bolster and strengthen the cooperation at the regional level and expressed the hope that the summit will help improve trade and business activities between the member countries.
The PM said that the summit would also provide him good opportunity to meet some of the world leaders and exchange views with them on various matters of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Raja Ashraf, who is on his first ever visit to Kuwait, will also meet with the Kuwaiti leadership and exchange views on bilateral issues, especially promotion of ties in the fields of energy and trade.
Kuwait is a friendly Muslim country and the cooperation between Pakistan and Kuwait covers diverse areas. A sizeable Pakistani community lives in Kuwait that has been plying active role in the improvement of economy of Pakistan and Kuwait. Responding to a question‚ the Prime Minister said Pakistan has excellent cordial relations with the fraternal country Kuwait.
The PM said Kuwait is Pakistan’s friend and talks with the Amir of Kuwait‚ Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah would encompass cooperation in different fields.
Responding to a question regarding Malala Yousafzai’s health, the prime minister said the government has sent her to Britain for special treatment. He said, as promised, the government has been providing best possible treatment to Malala and the other two girls injured in the shooting incident.
The Prime Minister said the whole nation is united to condemn terrorist attack on Malala as “she is the real face of Pakistan”. He prayed for the early recovery of the teenaged education activist.