Pakistan important member of group of friends of GDI: China

BEIJING, June 27: China says Pakistan is an important member of the group of friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian during a regular briefing in Beijing Monday said that China highly values the important role of Pakistan in advancing implementation of the UN 2030 agenda for a sustainable development. “China and Pakistan are all weather strategic cooperative partners. Pakistan is an important member of the group of friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI),” he said. “China highly values the important role of Pakistan in promoting global development and advancing implementation of the UN 2030 agenda for a sustainable development and booting regional cooperation,” he said. Zhao Lijian said that China and Pakistan maintained close communication and coordination. “We have conducted substantial cooperation in the field of development, which has delivered tangible benefits to the people of both countries and the region,” he added. He remarked that China would continue to make Pakistan a priority partner in implementing the global development initiative. “We will continue to work with the country (Pakistan) to advance the global development agenda,” he added. The spokesperson said that the decision to hold the high level dialogue on global development was based on consultation among BRICS countries. -NNI