F.P. Report
NATHIAGALI: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday termed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and Switzerland over disaster management as a vital step that would promote cooperation between the two countries to harness technology and expertise in future to tackle the natural catastrophe jointly.
Addressing the MoU signing ceremony, the prime minister said that they looked forward for the Swiss cooperation in terms of getting an advanced warning system and other gadgets to secure Pakistan as much as possible from natural disasters. He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change, despite the fact that the country had very little carbon emissions.
The prime minister also expressed that they wanted to further expand bilateral ties with Switzerland in diverse fields including the tourism sector as Pakistan was blessed with natural beauty. Appreciating the Swiss foreign minister’s remarks about the peace in the region, the prime minister said that it was important to maintain peace in this part of the world and that Switzerland could play the role of catalyst to promote peace in the region.
He said that Pakistan liked to promote progress, and prosperity, eradicate unemployment, and poverty, and enhance education, IT, industry, women empowerment, and agriculture for the well-being of the people. The other side, he said, should also realize it. Pakistan could not afford tension in the region nor would like to waste its resources, they must commit their resources to the development of the country, he stressed.
The prime minister reiterated that there could be no lasting peace in this part of the world till their issues including Kashmir were resolved. Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis said that signing the MoU between the two countries was vital for collaboration against climate change.
He said Pakistan was rich in cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, but it had become prone to natural disasters, resulting in last year’s floods, displacement of people with wide destruction. The Swiss minister said these disasters required an urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate the risks associated with the natural catastrophes.
Extending his government’s cooperation in this regard, he reaffirmed to further strengthen the bilateral ties and to pool their resources in this field. He further highlighted the joint efforts between the two countries during the years 2010 and 2022 when the devastating floods struck Pakistan, adding the Swiss government swiftly provided emergency aid and supported the affected people. The foreign minister further said that they were ready to embark on the new challenges in the field of disaster management which went beyond the borders and stressed that these required global unity and collateral efforts.
Earlier, the prime minister witnessed the signing of the MoU between the two countries by the visiting Swiss foreign minister and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik to cooperate in the field of natural disasters. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, ministers, NDMA chairman and relevant authorities were present on the occasion.
The document between the two countries will also prove as a milestone in bringing the National Disaster Management at par with the international standards under the vision of the prime minister. It will also help promote cooperation between Pakistan and Switzerland in forecasting natural disasters, their impacts, swift response and rehabilitation measures.
Pakistan attaches high importance to its bilateral ties with Switzerland
F.P. Report
NATHIAGALI: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated the high importance Pakistan attached to its relations with Switzerland which were based on shared belief in fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law. The prime minister received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis. The Swiss foreign minister, accompanied by three members of the Parliament, is on a bilateral visit to Pakistan from 7-9 July at the invitation of the prime minister, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance bilateral ties, especially in the areas of climate change, trade and investment, development cooperation, higher education and vocational training. The prime minister thanked the Swiss government for providing support to Pakistan in the aftermath of last year’s devastating floods. He also appreciated the Swiss businesses’ approach to the resolution of issues and their work ethic, and invited more Swiss companies to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the renewable energy and IT sectors. The two sides also agreed to collaborate in tourism promotion including eco-tourism and development of related infrastructure using both the G2G and B2B channels. In this regard, it was agreed that a meeting would be convened shortly to further spell out modes of cooperation. Both sides also agreed on disaster management, early warning and carbon market collaboration.
The prime minister also witnessed the signing of an MoU on “Disaster Management” between Pakistan and Switzerland. The MoU envisages bilateral cooperation in disaster risk management including preparedness, response and recovery aimed at reducing the adverse impact on the people and the economy. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman made a detailed presentation on the country’s climate vulnerability and onset of an accelerated climate crises pushing the country into recovery-resilience trap. The minister explained that the adaptation costs were very high but Pakistan was rebuilding as much as it could. She presented Pakistan’s flagship program including living Indus initiative and Delta Blue Carbon project which would resume 350000 hectares of mangrove wetlands reducing 147 million metric tonnes of carbon and bringing revenues of US$ 250million. “Pakistan and the Swiss Confederation enjoy cordial relations grounded in cooperation at the international forums with the common aim to contribute towards global peace and prosperity,” the press release further added. This is the first bilateral visit to Pakistan by a Swiss foreign minister in the last 17 years. The visit of Councillor Cassis has helped reinforce the existing friendly ties between the two countries.
