Pakistan eyes Qatar to overcome energy crisis
07 February, 2012
DOHA: Pakistan and Qatar on Monday agreed to collaborate in diverse areas particularly energy, trade, agriculture and infrastructure development. The two sides signed agreements to collaborate in multiple areas with focus on import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the Gulf state. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani witnessed the signing ceremony of the agreements. Gilani said Pakistan was interested in importing 500 million cubic feet LNG per day from Qatar that produces 77 million tones of LNG per annum. The Qatari minister for energy will visit Pakistan this month to hold talks with his counterpart in which substantial progress is expected. On the Afghan issue, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan wanted a stable, prosperous and independent Afghanistan, adding that it would support any reconciliation process which was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned and did not cause instability in Pakistan. He appreciated the initiatives of the Qatari government for facilitating the efforts for peace in Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan wanted good relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan and India. He referred to his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said that both the countries were committed to bringing peace in the sub-continent. Gilani urged the Qatari PM to absorb Pakistani skilled and semi-skilled labour in Qatar, saying that 87,000 Pakistani expatriates were already contributing to Qatar's economy. He said the government had set up the Ministry for Professional and Technical Training to impart technical and professional training to Pakistanis and enabling them to work in Arab countries in general and Qatar in particular. He said that more Pakistanis could help fulfil Qatar's demand for two million workforce for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, to be held in Doha. The prime minister stressed the need for diversifying the trade potential between the two countries. The Qatari prime minister said his country was ready to invest up to $5 billion in Pakistan in agriculture, tourism and infrastructure and other sectors. He proposed Pakistan to hold an exhibition of its products in Qatar and offered assistance in holding the exhibition aimed at creating demands for products of high quality. He also briefed Gilani on the situation in Syria and the stance taken by the Arab world and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. He vowed that Qatar would support Pakistan to initiate a free trade agreement with the GCC countries. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Pakistan had always supported peace and stability in the Middle East. She called for expediting the Pak-GCC Free Trade Agreement. Earlier, a guard of honour ceremony was held on the arrival of Prime Minister Gilani at Amiri Diwan – the office of Qatar's prime minister. End.
|
