Pakistan aims to engage Africa focusing economic diplomacy: FM.

ISLAMABAD -- Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday said that Pakistan aimed to engage Africa as a key part of its foreign policy.

In line with Foreign Minister Qureshi's long-term focus on economic diplomacy, a third virtual envoys meeting on the subject, chaired by the FM, was held here.

With emphasis on Africa, and held under the government's 'Engage Africa' initiative, Pakistan's Heads of Missions in Abuja, Addis Ababa, Algiers, Nairobi, Tripoli, Port Louis, Rabat, Pretoria, Niamey, Khartoum, Dar es Salam, Dakar, Harare and Tunis participated in the meeting, said a foreign ministry statement.

Underlining the shift from geo-politics to geo-economics, the Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of economic diplomacy as a key component of modern diplomatic practice.

FM Qureshi said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was at the forefront of safeguarding and protecting Pakistan's economic interests through initiatives like the Prime Minister's Global Initiative on Debt Relief for Developing Countries.

'The Ministry and the Missions abroad are also working on advancing the Roshan Digital Account and the Home Remittances and the Prime Minister's Economic Outreach Initiatives,' he added.

Noting the importance of Africa as the 'continent of future', with 54 countries and a population of 1.3 billion, the Foreign Minister said, Pakistan enjoyed friendly relations and political goodwill in African countries that needed to be translated into a more robust economic partnership.

Recognizing this, Pakistan had embarked on the 'Engage Africa' initiative, aimed at expanding Pakistan's diplomatic footprint and deepening economic engagement with Africa, he said.

Qureshi said as part of this initiative, Pakistan's outreach and presence in Africa was being significantly enhanced.

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