Spokesman Report
NATHIAGALI :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday termed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and Switzerland over disaster management as a vital step that would promote cooperation between the two countries to harness technology and expertise in future to tackle the natural catastrophe jointly.
Addressing the MoU signing ceremony, the prime minister said that they looked forward for the Swiss cooperation in terms of getting an advanced warning system and other gadgets to secure Pakistan as much as possible from natural disasters.
He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change, despite the fact that the country had very little carbon emissions.
The prime minister also expressed that they wanted to further expand bilateral ties with Switzerland in diverse fields including the tourism sector as Pakistan was blessed with natural beauty.
Appreciating the Swiss foreign minister’s remarks about the peace in the region, the prime minister said that it was important to maintain peace in this part of the world and that Switzerland could play the role of catalyst to promote peace in the region.
Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis said that signing the MoU between the two countries was vital for collaboration against climate change.
He said Pakistan was rich in cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, but it had become prone to natural disasters, resulting in last year’s floods, displacement of people with wide destruction.
The Swiss minister said these disasters required an urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate the risks associated with the natural catastrophes.
Earlier, the prime minister witnessed the signing of the MoU between the two countries by the visiting Swiss foreign minister and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik to cooperate in the field of natural disasters. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, ministers, NDMA chairman and relevant authorities were present on the occasion.
The document between the two countries will also prove as a milestone in bringing the National Disaster Management at par with the international standards under the vision of the prime minister.
It will also help promote cooperation between Pakistan and Switzerland in forecasting natural disasters, their impacts, swift response and rehabilitation measures.
Earliar: the prime minister received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Federal CouncillorIgnazio Cassis. The Swiss foreign minister, accompanied by three members of the Parliament, is on a bilateral visit to Pakistan from 7-9 July at the invitation of the prime minister, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.