2023.08.11
On July 26, Naseem Khan Achakzai, Executive Director of GVI Islamabad Center, was invited to attend and speak at the PGF. The theme of his speech was “addressing fiscal deficit through alternatives to sustainable economic recovery” and “promoting Pakistani economic growth through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs)”.
The PGF was organized by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and held on July 25-26, 2023 at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel. It brought together more than 500 participants, including government officials, eminent scholars, and social elites, and featured 26 keynote sessions and 100 invited speakers, with the aim of "finding innovative paths of governance to address the political and social issues of Pakistan and promoting dialogue as a means to tackle the daunting challenges facing the country. "
At the Forum, Mr. Naseem Khan Achakzai, Executive Director of GVI Islamabad Center, addressed a session on "Catalyzing Growth Activities through the CPEC". He was joined by Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, and Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Khan Achakzai said that China's development and modernization is a miracle for the whole world. Other countries can learn a lot from it. Apart from strengthening policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, multilateral trade, and financial integration, another important aspect of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is people-to-people communication. “This is the social foundation of the BRI. We must play a proactive role in informing the local people in BRI member states about how the initiative has changed the overall landscape of development and how it helped set up local communities as models of sustainable growth.”
The establishment of the Islamabad Center is the latest measure of GVI’s relentless efforts to promote China-Pakistan friendship and enhance dialogues and exchanges between China and South Asia. Through these contacts and communications with renowned foreign think tanks, politicians and scholars, GVI will be in a better position to contribute to the peaceful development of the world.