Shehbaz to attend Global Financing Pact Summit in France

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left on a two-day visit to France to attend the Global Financing Pact Summit upon the invitation of the French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to the Foreign Office (FO) the summit, to be held in Paris from June 22 to 23, “affords an opportunity for the leaders to discuss the contours of a new global architecture capable of meeting the challenges of financing sustainable development, environment, energy transition and climate change agenda”.

The summit also aims to define steps required for a comprehensive reform of the international financial system.

“Pakistan will contribute to the debate at the Summit as a leading stakeholder in the global discourse, a leader in G-77 and China and one of the largest developing countries most affected by climate change”, according to the FO.

The Pakistani premier is to present Pakistan’s perspective and proposals for reform of International Financial Institutions, climate finance, green infrastructure, attainment of the SDGs and solutions related to debt.

He will also hold meetings to discuss bilateral relations with other world leaders present at the summit.

Reports also suggest that Sharif will be meeting the International Monetary Fund team as well on the sidelines of the summit in a last ditch effort to convince the global lending body to release its tranche agreed with Pakistan.