Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that investing in youth is vital to building inclusive and strong economies capable of addressing current and future global challenges.
Speaking at the D-8 Summit in Cairo on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted the importance of youth and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in driving economic development. He noted that young people bring energy, new ideas and creativity, while SMEs are crucial for job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Prime Minister urged D-8 member states to prioritize youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, creating environments where small businesses can thrive.
He noted that Pakistan, with more than 60% of its population under the age of 30, has enormous potential for innovation and growth. However, unlocking this potential requires providing the right skills, opportunities and financial resources.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that today’s summit is an excellent opportunity for D-8 countries to share best practices, pool resources and create cross-border programs that support youth and SMEs.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to fostering socio-economic development through its flagship youth programme, which focuses on education, job creation and empowering youth to become job creators.
He mentioned that Pakistan is home to one of the largest freelance communities in the world and is investing heavily in IT training to equip its youth with the skills needed to participate in the digital economy.
The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of improving transport connectivity between D-8 member states to build efficient trade corridors and reliable supply chains.
Addressing the current situation in Palestine and the Middle East, Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated that a ceasefire in Gaza is essential for regional and global peace and prosperity.
Additionally, he welcomed Azerbaijan as a new member of the D-8 organization, strengthening the group’s potential for economic cooperation.
Pakistan and Indonesia commit to strengthening cooperation
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Cairo on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit and discussed ways to improve bilateral relations, especially in the economic and trade sectors.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated President Widodo on his recent inauguration. Both leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening their countries’ relations, focusing on political, economic and commercial cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized Indonesia’s role as a reliable trading partner for Pakistan, particularly highlighting the crucial import of palm oil from Indonesia to meet Pakistan’s edible oil needs. Both leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral ties.
The Prime Minister also expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in promoting its relations with ASEAN and thanked Indonesia for its support in Pakistan’s bid for Sector Partner status in ASEAN. Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed hope that with Indonesia’s support, Pakistan could soon become a full ASEAN dialogue partner.
In addition to bilateral issues, the two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for Palestine, advocating a ceasefire in Gaza and a comprehensive approach to resolving the Palestinian issue. They reiterated their commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Prime Minister Sharif invited President Widodo to visit Pakistan, which was accepted.
Prime Minister in Egypt will attend D-8
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Egypt on Wednesday on a three-day official visit to attend the 11th Developing Countries (D-8) Summit in Cairo, whose theme was “Investing in youth and supporting SMEs: shape the economy of tomorrow.
At the summit, the prime minister will highlight the importance of investing in young people and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for a strong and inclusive economy based on job creation, innovation and the promotion of local entrepreneurship, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
It will demonstrate Pakistan’s strong commitment to cooperate and implement the fundamental principles set out by the D-8, as well as emphasize the importance of partnerships for mutual benefit and development among participating countries, as well as cooperation in agriculture, food security and tourism.
The Prime Minister will highlight the measures taken by the Government of Pakistan for the empowerment of youth and their economic development.
He is also scheduled to attend the D-8 special session on the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction challenges in Gaza and Lebanon to deliberate on the situation resulting from Israeli aggression in the Middle East.
He will underline Pakistan’s principled stand on the situation in Palestine and call for peace in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz will also hold bilateral meetings with the heads of state of various countries who have come to attend the summit in Cairo.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi will attend the conference along with the prime minister.
