Ongoing initiatives under CPEC: JWG meetings held to review progress

To discuss and identify future potential projects and review the progress on ongoing initiatives under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), meetings of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Gwadar and Industrial Cooperation through video conference was held here at Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform (MPD&R), Islamabad on Wednesday.
Gwadar JWG meeting was co-chaired by Secretary MPD&R Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and Chief Secretary, Government of Balochistan, Saif Ullah Chatta and was attended by group members. Li Xuedong, Deputy Director General, International Affairs (DDG), National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), People's Republic of China led the Chinese side. Zhao Lijian, DCM/Political Counsellor, Chinese Embassy Islamabad also participated in the meeting.
The Gwadar Group discussed key projects including Electricity Project, Water Supply, New Gwadar International Airport, readiness status of Gwadar Port & Free Zone, Gwadar Expansion of Multipurpose Terminal including Breakwater and Dredging Project. It also discussed social sector projects including Gwadar Hospital and China Pakistan Vocational Training Institute and other projects.
The JWG meeting on Industrial Cooperation was co-chaired by Secretary MPD&R and Li Xuedong, DDG NDRC. The meeting was attended by officials from different federal ministries, all provincial governments, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and FATA besides representative from different chambers of commerce.
The group discussed scope of the Joint Working Group on Industrial Cooperation and the way forward as well as the policy support from Pakistan including policies and suggestions for Chinese industry to Pakistan. Chinese side briefed the participants on their own experience on developing overseas industrial parks and the preferred models for industrial cooperation in Pakistan under CPEC.-PR