China's Global Development Initiative to help promote int'l cooperation to overcome challenges: Pakistan FM spokesman

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China will help promote international cooperation required to "overcome the triple challenge faced by the world today," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The challenges, said Pakistan's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, are the COVID-19 pandemic, the related economic crisis and the threat posed by climate change.

Addressing the weekly media briefing in Islamabad, the spokesperson said Pakistan welcomes and supports the GDI as a timely and good-intention step to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The GDI will open up new avenues of collaboration with developing countries in support of their post-pandemic economic recovery as well as long-term sustainable growth, the spokesperson said.

The key areas of focus under the GDI are poverty alleviation, food security, COVID-19 response, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity, Ahmad said, adding that all of these correspond to the socio-economic development priorities of Pakistan as well.

"Pakistan and China have strong development partnership based on the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between our two countries, and we look forward to further strengthening this development partnership under China's Global Development Initiative," the spokesperson said.