CPEC channelizing economic diplomacy: PBF.

LAHORE -- The Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) said on Sunday that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was playing a role in channelizing the notion of economic diplomacy in policy-making arenas.

'Indubitably, CPEC has the potential to become a breeding ground for Pakistan's venture of economic diplomacy not only through special economic zones but also by enhancing regional connectivity in multifarious manner.'

Addressing the PBF executive committee here, forum's Deputy Secretary General (Economic) Dr Laraib Elahi said that it was a widely accepted fact that economy was central to foreign policy and was curated in accordance to it. Since geo-economics shaped geopolitics, she added, it was indispensable to ensure economic amplification through diplomatic means to build and maintain regional influence.

She asserted that it would not be wise to bifurcate economic policy and foreign policy, as it was an effective tool of national security as well. She said that the West, being far ahead of the rest of the world, had realised the importance of economic diplomacy and had set up European Union - the biggest trade bloc, with more than 100 countries in trade relations - was the epitome of building trade superstructure over diplomatic infrastructure. The EU started its envious journey from a treaty of merely six countries trading in just two goods (European coal and steel community)...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT