Expresses hope CPEC will enhance development, connectivity in region
Pakistan’s permanent representative at UN, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi has that poverty and inequalities remain overarching challenges for Asia even as new opportunities are opening up by an expanding middle class, a trend which some have described as the one of the biggest seismic shifts in history.
She stated this while speaking at a side event, organized by the Pakistani Mission to the UN and ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific) on enhancing regional cooperation in the region here on Wednesday. She said that economic integration is much more advanced in East Asia, while South Asia remains one of the least integrated sub regions of the continent.
The Pakistani envoy said that the promise of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) – established specifically to promote regional economic cooperation – has yet to translate into reality.
Similarly, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said the Economic Cooperation Organization has been unable to fully harness the energy of its member states. “Its long-term promise of development of transport and communication infrastructure, trade and investment and effective use of the region’s energy resources remains unmet”, she added.
Ambassador Lodhi said that promoting regional integration and connectivity was one of Pakistan’s top priorities. “A peaceful neighbourhood – a goal that we have been pursuing – will benefit the entire region”, she emphasized.
She said, “Greater regional connectivity and modernization of transportation, is one of the seven pillars of the long-term development strategy outlined in our “Vision 2025”.
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, briefed the participants of the role ESCAP was playing in developing integrated markets, seamless connectivity, enhancing financial cooperation and addressing shared vulnerabilities.