Islamabad
Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) says China Pakistan Economic Corridor has played a pivotal role in channeling the notion of economic diplomacy in policy making arenas.
“Indubitably CPEC has potential to become a breeding ground for Pakistans venture of economic diplomacy not only through special economic zones but also enhancing regional connectivity in multifarious manner”.
Addressing the executive committee, PBF Deputy Secretary General (Economic) Dr Laraib Elahi said that its a widely accepted fact that economy is central to foreign policy and is curated in accordance to it. Perhaps Geo-economics shapes geopolitics thus in order to build, maintain regional influence and relavence its suicidal to ignore mamoth potency of economic amplification through diplomatic means, Its an unformidable tool of National security therefore bifurcating economic policy and foreign policy isn’t wise.
She said west being far ahead rest of the world cognised the paramountcy of economic diplomacy by setting up European union- the biggest trade bloc, with more than 100 countries in trade relations- is the epitome of building trade surpastructure over diplomatic infrastructure. The EU started its envious journey from a treaty of merely six countries trading in just two goods (European Coal and Steel community) ultimately coalasing whole continent. Former being a more exclusive or based upon geographical contiguity , World also witnessed economic ventures propelled by diplomacy across the continents, between former rivals , it is no exaggeration to state that economic interests have overhauled geopolitics in contemporary world.
With economic diplomacy given core place in Pakistans foreign policy framework yet meager implementation is observed.
