BEIJING: Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday held a meeting with Zhang Jianghua, Chairman National Energy Administration of China at the Diaoyutai Guest House and discussed matters of mutual interest, especially in the field of energy.
Ahsan Iqbal said that Green Corridor, announced by Vice Premier He Lifeng during his visit to Pakistan is an important pillar of CPEC’s second phase. The vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is to revive the original momentum of the CPEC projects and has a deep commitment to the high-standard development of the mega-project.
He said that energy projects, under CPEC phase-I, contributed to overcoming power outages in Pakistan. The government intended to diversify the energy mix during the next phase of CPEC towards clean and renewable energy. It also intended to reform the energy sector to be efficient and affordable in order to provide electricity to consumers and businesses at cheaper prices by cutting line losses and power theft.
Both sides discussed new measures to improve the energy management system, aimed at reducing theft and line losses.
The minister also briefed the Chinese side on the measures taken by the government to enhance the safety and security of the Chinese nationals on several projects in Pakistan.
Both sides also discussed diversifying the energy mix for the production of electricity in Pakistan. In this regard, Ahsan Iqbal sought Chinese continued cooperation for the early implementation of the Azad Pattan and Kohala Hydro Power Projects.
Ahsan Iqbal’s in China
The meeting was part of a series of engagements of Ahsan Iqbal in Beijing to prepare for the next round of Joint Coordination Committee meeting as well as for the preparation of the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to China.
