ISLAMABAD
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Pakistan desires for promotion of joint efforts to benefit from the information and communication technologies to achieve common objectives of digital transformation and socio-economic progress.
He was talking to Secretary General Digital Cooperation Organization Deemah AlYahya in Islamabad on Thursday. The Minister said Pakistan values its strategic partnership with Digital Cooperation Organization.
He said DCO is an effective platform for promotion of global digital agenda in the fields of science, health, education, trade, agriculture, investment and security. The Foreign Minister said Pakistan fully supports the DCO agenda for digital economy, trade and industrial development.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has joined the DCO as a founding member which is established under an initiative of Saudi Arabia to enhance international cooperation and collaboration in the digital domain. The other countries that have been invited to join the DCO as founding members include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE.
The organisation was launched at a virtual event today, hosted by Abdullah Al-Swaha, the minister of communication and information technology of Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi participated in the event via video link.
Earlier, lauding the far-sighted initiative of the Saudi minister, FM Qureshi said that at a time when the digital economy is estimated to be worth over $11 trillion and is set to expand further in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the creation of DCO would cater to the growing need of international cooperation and collaboration in the digital domain.
“[The] DCO will offer a platform to promote the global digital agenda in the scientific, health, educational, commercial, social, agricultural, investment and security spheres,” he remarked.
Qureshi said that digital diplomacy has been a core component of his public diplomacy Initiative.
“The foreign minister chairs a dedicated digital diplomacy working group comprising some of Pakistan’s brightest IT experts, to bring innovation and enhance Pakistan’s digital diplomacy footprint,” said the communique.
For countries like Pakistan, with a talented and well-trained pool of human resource sought globally, the information revolution presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog the development deficit. Pakistan’s membership of the DCO would contribute to the attainment of that objective. TLTP
