Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday emphasized that regional connectivity initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and cross-border rail and road networks would serve as catalysts for economic integration, boosting trade, energy collaboration, and shared prosperity across the region and beyond.
Speaking at the closing session of the two-day Regional Transport Ministers Conference in Islamabad, the prime minister described enhanced economic cooperation among regional states as a mutually beneficial undertaking that could deliver enduring dividends of peace and development.
He urged all participating countries to work collectively to “plant the seeds of cooperation” that would yield prosperity for their peoples.
Organized by the Ministry of Communications under the theme “Regional Connectivity: Opportunities for the Region,” the conference was attended by transport ministers and delegations from 20 countries along with representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the International Road Transport Union, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Shehbaz Sharif reminded the audience that the area now constituting Pakistan had long been a crossroads of trade and culture—from the Silk Road of antiquity to today’s Belt and Road Initiative. He noted that evolving global and regional dynamics had reinvigorated the strategic importance of these routes, transforming them into essential instruments of future economic growth.
Describing Pakistan as a geographical bridge linking China, Central Asia, and the Middle East, the prime minister said the nation’s coastline and ports of Gwadar and Karachi served as vital gateways on the Maritime Silk Road. He praised the foresight of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for initiating CPEC, which he called a transformative project that opened new pathways for trade and energy exchange among China, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
He announced that Pakistan was now advancing into the second phase of CPEC, focused on business-to-business collaboration, greater investment opportunities for Chinese enterprises, and joint efforts for inclusive development.
The country, he added, was also engaged in several major transport projects such as the Trans-Afghan Railway and the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul corridor, alongside expanding air connections with Central Asian states under frameworks like the TIR Convention.
The premier stressed that true connectivity was not limited to transport infrastructure alone but extended to innovation, technology, and digital networks.
He said Pakistan was investing in digital transformation to align with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, adding that with 60 percent of its population aged between 15 and 30, the nation’s youthful demographic was its most valuable resource for future progress.
In his concluding remarks, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said participants had reaffirmed their collective resolve to enhance regional cooperation as a means to shared prosperity.
The conference, he said, recognized the importance of developing cross-border linkages, promoting innovative financing models, improving road safety standards, and easing visa regimes to strengthen people-to-people and economic ties.
He expressed confidence that the outcomes of the conference would pave the way for tangible collaboration in the coming months, assuring that Pakistan remained ready to support regional dialogue, partnerships, and joint ventures that promote sustainable growth and mutual development.