Islamabad: 7th November 2023: Pakistan is making steady progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that aims to enhance connectivity, trade and cooperation between the two countries. 

The CPEC Secretariat today held a meeting to review the status of various projects under the CPEC framework, following the successful 3rd Belt and Road Forum 2023 held in Beijing.The meeting was chaired by the Caretaker Planning Minister Muhammad Sami Saeed, who appreciated the achievements made so far and stressed the need to expedite the implementation of the remaining projects.

The Project Director CPEC gave a comprehensive briefing on the completed projects, ongoing projects and areas that were highlighted in the 3rd BRI Forum.

The meeting also discussed the new areas of cooperation that were agreed upon during the 3rd BRI Forum, which include agriculture, science and technology, and information technology. The Planning Minister emphasized the importance of these areas for Pakistan's socio-economic development and urged the relevant authorities to prepare feasible proposals and action plans for them.

The meeting also focused on the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) along the CPEC route, which are expected to attract more investment from Chinese companies and other countries. The Planning Minister said that the SEZs would promote industrialization, create job opportunities and boost the country's export capacity.