Pakistan, China to expand mega CPEC project to third country
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An agreement concerning third-party involvement in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is expected to be inked during the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) between Pakistan and China.
This revelation came from a recent meeting chaired by the Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Measures, Sami Saeed, convened to assess the progress of CPEC projects. Notably, in June of the previous year, the Ministry of External Affairs had prohibited public announcements regarding third-party participation in CPEC projects, citing prior consensus between Pakistan and China to avoid such disclosures.
This directive stemmed from a letter sent by the Director General of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, affirming that third-party participation in CPEC was discussed within the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JWG) and delegated to the Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) for consideration.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored that decisions pertaining to third-party involvement would be made through mutual consensus, aligning with the consensus policy established during the initial and subsequent JWG meetings. It was reported that during a briefing on September 22, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the mission of the JWG-ICC, established in 2018 to foster a conducive international environment for CPEC's growth and development.
The group had convened four meetings, with the date for the fourth meeting yet to be confirmed by China. Additionally, the Ministry informed that the process and terms of reference for third-party participation in CPEC were established through extensive inter-ministerial consultations and subsequently submitted to the Ministry of Planning for review and input.
The Caretaker Planning Minister expressed contentment with the progress made by the JWG and emphasized the importance of finalizing the approval process for the third phase of CPEC projects, urging swift resolution to ensure signing at the upcoming Belt and Road Forum.
