Beijing: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said his recent meetings with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yielded “encouraging results” with both countries agreeing to resume the comprehensive bilateral dialogue.
Sharif said this during his meeting with Premier Li Keqiang in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou where he briefed the Chinese leader on his recent meetings with Modi and Swaraj.
Sharif had met Modi last month at the Paris climate change summit and Swaraj at the Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad last week.
“The Pakistani premier apprised his Chinese counterpart of his recent meeting with Modi and Swaraj that have yielded encouraging results,” said a press release issued by the Pakistani embassy here on the Sharif-Li meeting.
“Both countries have agreed to resume the comprehensive bilateral dialogue, which is a welcome development,” Sharif said on the revival of the Indo-Pak talks.
During his meeting with Li on the sidelines of the 14th Heads of Government Council Meeting of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Sharif said that Pakistan has established a Special Security Division (SSD) to protect “our Chinese brothers” working in his country on various projects.
On the USD 45 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Sharif said he was satisfied with progress of CPEC projects. “Pakistan wants all the projects under CPEC to be implemented in a timely and efficient manner,” he said.
Sharif said the progress achieved by Chinese takeover of the strategic Gwadar Port Free Zone is a good beginning for initiating the process of building the economic zone. The Prime Minister said Pakistan valued SCO's role and was grateful that with China's support, Pakistan is being accepted as a full member of SCO.
On counter-terrorism and security issues, Sharif apprised the Chinese premier about military operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb' and National Action Plan to fight terror that are being successfully implemented in Pakistan.
While expressing satisfaction over progress in CPEC, Li said that China will extend full support to the implementation of agreed projects and help Pakistan build its industrial capacity.
Sharif also extended an invitation to the Chinese premier to visit Pakistan.
