‘China only country to help Pakistan with energy crisis’

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

BEIJING - Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has said that China is the only country that can help Pakistan to address its present energy crisis. The minister was addressing a reception on Tuesday evening after conclusion of the 1st Pakistan-China Joint Energy Working Group (JEWG) meetings.
Minister Naveed Qamar said that while coming to attend the reception, he got a telephone call from a media outlet in Pakistan asking if China could help us in getting rid of the power crisis, the minister informed that he replied, “If at all there is a country in the world that can help us in dealing with the miseries (of load shedding), it is China”, he said in a big round of applause from the large number of participants.
“So, with high expectations and high goals InshAllah, we will achieve high targets”, he noted.
The reception was hosted by Ambassador Masood Khan at Pakistan House and members from Pakistan and China, who attended the two-day JEWG meetings held here from August 1-2, were also present at the event.
The senior Chinese officials including Qian Zhimin, Deputy Administrator of National Energy Administration (NEA) of the National Development Reform Commission of China who led his country in the largely attended JEWG meetings was also present on the occasion.
Minister Naveed Qamar assured that the matters discussed and the sentiments expressed in these meetings are ‘to be followed up with action in the days to come.’
He pointed out that he sees a great future if the projects they have agreed upon are implemented not only for the JEWG but also for energy cooperation between Pakistan and China.
Referring to the energy cooperation, the minister said, “this is the bridge on which we can build all our future economic relations”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion Qian Zhimin, of NEA said, “We talked a lot today, we discussed a lot today” for cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field of energy. He said that the important thing is implementations of these projects.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar in a press conference held at Pakistan Embassy called for closer cooperation between China and Pakistan in the energy industry. Noting Pakistan’s current gap of supply and demand in the power sector, the minister said the two countries should cooperate more in areas such as hydroelectric power, nuclear energy, oil and gas.
He spoke highly of the meetings, saying his visit was ‘successful.’
He said the two sides not only discussed policies, but also touched on specific projects on which Chinese companies are working in Pakistan and how both countries could make efforts to facilitate them.
The two countries agreed to promote a long-term meeting mechanism for bilateral energy cooperation, he said adding that Pakistan is eyeing more investment from Chinese companies.