Islamabad: Pakistan and China are poised to finalize an agreement allowing the participation of a third party in the transformative China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the upcoming Belt and Road Forum (BRF), reported a news source on October 3.
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As per the details, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) disclosed this breakthrough during a recent meeting chaired by the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Sami Saeed. The agenda of the meeting was to evaluate the progress on CPEC initiatives. The MOFA confirmed that the inclusion of a third party in CPEC projects had been under discussion with the Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) mandated by the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JWG) to handle these matters.
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In adherence to a policy established after mutual consensus between Pakistan and China, public announcements regarding third-party participation will only be made following careful consultation and agreement between the two nations. The meeting highlighted the substantial progress made by the JWG-ICC, established in 2018 to create an international environment conducive to the growth and promotion of CPEC.