ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday showed its interest to collaborate with Iran in areas of solid waste management and infrastructure and need to learn from each other’s experiences.

These views were expressed by CDAChairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa during his meeting with Ambassador of Iran, Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, who visited CDA headquarters.

The CDA chairman expressed his gratitude for the ambassador’s visit especially on the occasion of World Cities Day which is observed on October 31 aimed at raising awareness about global sustainable urban development.

According to press release, Ambassador of Iran highlighted Islamabad’s status as a beautiful, green, and well-planned city, which is renowned for its

hospitality.

The ambassador emphasised that the two countries shared the common culture and heritage. He cited that the numerous roads named after Muahammd Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal in Iran. He appreciated the gesture of Pakistan for naming the road as Iran Avenue.

The Iranian ambassador stressed the importance of cooperation at the municipality level of Tehran and Islamabad. He further highlighted Iran’s expertise in infrastructure development and solid waste management.

The Chairman highlighted the role of CDA in Islamabad’s development, adding that efforts aimed at enhancing beauty and modernity, underscoring the city’s limitless potential for growth and development. He welcomed the proposal of cooperation at CDA and Tehran’s municipality level. The both sides expressed the resolve for strengthening ties between both countries.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Yerzhan Kistafin also called on Chairman CDA. Ambassador Kistafin praised Pakistan’s successful hosting of the SCO summit, highlighting Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister’s visit as a remarkable occasion where he appreciated Islamabad’s hospitality and beauty. He expressed Kazakhstan’s commitment to deepening relations from cultural exchanges to economic and business ties.

In order to further deepen the ties, the ambassador shared the proposal of the sister-city status between Islamabad and Astana and also suggested renaming one of Islamabad’s streets to honor the prominent figure from Kazakhstan.

Chairman Randhawa shared CDA’s efforts regarding beatification and infrastructure development. He emphasized the need for exploring the areas of mutual interest and cooperation, assuring his full support for the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to formalize the sister-city relationship between Islamabad and Astana.

He highlighted the importance of business cooperation and cultural ties.

He expressed CDA’s readiness to explore partnerships on the city development projects, including a state-of-the-art slaughterhouse and other key projects. Both sides expressed their resolve for promoting close ties and cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2024