Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged the world to adopt a “fresh look” at the country and deviate from the stereotypical image it has been given.
Before his first trip to Singapore, Bilawal told The Strait Times, “As a young political leader, I strongly feel that the world needs to have a fresh look at Pakistan, away from its stereotypical image.”
According to the Singapore-based publication, Pakistan’s top diplomat, “many opportunities in Pakistan awaiting the world” However, he stated that lifting Pakistan’s travel warnings is the first step in taking advantage of those opportunities.
Bilawal stated, “I strongly believe that the world needs to look at us more objectively, as a promising emerging market.” He emphasized Pakistan’s young population and middle class, which is expanding at the fastest rate in the world.
Ties with ASEAN
The Pakistani e-commerce market was one of the industries that the foreign minister mentioned. According to the data provided by the German research company Statista, the nation’s e-commerce market is anticipated to generate US$7.67 billion in revenue in 2022, he informed the publication.
In addition, he emphasized the numerous freelancers in Pakistan who provide IT, telecom, e-commerce, data analytics, financial services, music, and health services.
“Our young talent can greatly benefit Singapore and other ASEAN countries, which outsource many IT-related activities and financial services.”
During the visit, Pakistan’s top diplomat emphasized that Islamabad places a high value on establishing relationships with ASEAN members. He went on to say that Islamabad wants to make its relationship with the regional bloc into a full dialogue.
Pakistan is very interested in some recent ASEAN initiatives, which we believe will open up a lot of trade and investment opportunities for emerging economies like Pakistan. By connecting with Southeast Asia, we believe our start-up and fintech ecosystem can make a significant contribution,” Bilawal stated.
Bilawal met with Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, his counterpart, in Singapore. According to a statement released today by the Foreign Office, the two leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and agreed to enhance engagement and cooperation.
During his official visit, he will also meet with President Halimah Yacob.
According to the Singapore publication, Pakistan places a high value on its relationships with Singapore within the framework of ASEAN.
He featured that Pakistan was among the primary nations to perceive Singapore after autonomy, and how the Pakistani ostracizes have added to the country’s improvement in its initial years.
Bilawal mentioned that the two countries have previously exchanged high-level visits, such as when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto visited Pakistan in 1995 and when former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew visited Pakistan in 1988 and 1992.
Bilawal stated that, “over time, we lost the momentum in our bilateral relations,” and that he was traveling to Singapore “to revive that momentum and intensify our bilateral exchanges.” Pakistan wants to improve this relationship in every way.
