ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz will participate in the ‘One Water Summit’ in Riyadh co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, France, Kazakhstan, and the World Bank. The summit aims to foster international cooperation on sustainable water resource management and accelerate progress on clean water and sanitation under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6).

During his two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz will deliver a keynote address at a roundtable, where he will spotlight Pakistan’s efforts to combat water scarcity, improve climate resilience, and promote biodiversity. On the sidelines of the summit, he will engage in bilateral meetings with international leaders to further Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement.

The One Water Summit, part of the One Planet Summit initiative, was announced during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It aims to address the deteriorating state of global water quality, increasing water scarcity, and the rising frequency of water-related natural disasters. The summit will convene alongside the 16th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 16).

This marks PM Shehbaz’s third visit to Saudi Arabia within the past few months. In November 2024, he attended the Arab-Islamic Summit. In October, he participated in the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), a premier forum for economic cooperation and innovation.

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar departed for Mashhad, Iran, on Monday to attend the 28th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).

During the two-day official visit, Senator Dar will sign the ‘Charter for ECO Clean Energy Center’, a key initiative aimed at advancing sustainable energy collaboration among member states.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024