PM urges world community to focus on trade not aid

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged the community of the world to focus on trade not aid for the economic development in Pakistan.

Addressing a high-level political forum on sustainable development in New York‚ he said the development agenda should not be based on aid alone.

He said that he is not an advocate of aid but of trade‚ market access‚ economic partnerships‚ transfer of technology and scientific know-how.

The Prime Minister said he is against aid because it creates dependency and stunts the growth of states.

Speaking at the occasion, Sharif said his government is giving incentives to the private sector to generate maximum employment in the country.

Meanwhile‚ PM Nawaz Sharif has outlined his government’s goals and targets aimed at promoting sustainable energy in Pakistan.

He was speaking in a trilateral meeting with the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Danish Minister for International Development Christian Bach on the issue of sustainable energy.

During the meeting‚ it was agreed that the three countries would push for sustainable energy as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Nawaz Sharif highlighted that Pakistan’s national framework is aimed at the generation of inexpensive energy‚ exploitation of renewable and sustainable energy potential and culture of energy conservation and responsibility.

The prime minister said the energy issue is the highest priority of his government.

The Norwegian Prime Minister assured the Pakistani leader that he would encourage the private sector and business houses of his country to look at the investment opportunities in the energy sector of Pakistan.

PM Nawaz Sharif also held a meeting with the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the New York‚ and discussed bilateral ties including cooperation over energy production.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues, particularly the challenges faced by the Islamic Ummah.

Both agreed that Afghanistan’s neighboring countries need to work closely with the Afghan government and support Afghan-owned and Afghan-led political process.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also called on by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York and they discussed the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

They discussed regional developments and underlined the need for close bilateral cooperation to counter terrorism.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also met with the founder of Microsoft Company, Bill Gates.

Bill Gates said his organization will fully assist Pakistan to eradicate of polio from the country.