ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasised the need for strong political will and global leadership to address the global water crisis, which poses an existential threat to nations worldwide, and urged the international community to take action to safeguard rapidly depleting water resources.

Speaking at the ‘One Water Summit’ in Riyadh, PM Shehbaz stressed that “water scarcity is the world’s biggest challenge and requires urgent measures”. He highlighted the importance of preserving water resources, warning that water shortages are leading to drought conditions globally.

The prime minister also drew the attention of the world community to the devastation caused by the 2022 floods in Pakistan and reiterated the need for more dams in the country to prevent the wastage of water.

PM Shehbaz, who met Saudi Crown Prince Moh­a­mmed Bin Salman on the sidelines of the summit, praised him for his Vision 2030 initiative and other climate-related efforts.

Later, a PM Office statement said, he held a warm and cordial meeting with the Saudi crown prince, their fifth over the past six months.

According to the statement, both leaders agreed that it was now necessary for the two countries to bring about a qualitative change in their economic, trade and investment relationship. The crown prince stressed the importance of ensuring the enhancement of meaningful cooperation between both countries, which would bring about economic growth and prosperity in Pakistan.

Both leaders also expre­s­sed satisfaction at the pace of progress of the im­­pl­em­entation of MoUs and agreements signed with Saudi Arabia regarding investment in Pakistan.

During their meeting, PM Shehbaz reiterated his invitation to the crown prince to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience, to which MBS responded that he was looking forward to his visit to Pakistan.

Meeting with Macron

Separately, PM Shehbaz also held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit.

Comm­ending France’s leadership on climate change and development issues, he also recalled with appreciation President Macron’s strong advocacy for the people of Pakistan after the devastating 2022 floods.

Both leaders agreed to enhance Pakistan-France cooperation, particularly through business-to-business contacts in the areas of agriculture, livestock, information technology, skills development, and clean drinking water, a PM Office statement said.

Expressing satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, the two leaders exchanged views on the full spectrum of the Pakistan-France relationship, including political, economic, trade, and investment ties, as well as cooperation at multilateral forums such as the United Nations.

PM Shehbaz stressed the need to further strengthen mutually beneficial economic and trade ties and encouraged France to seize investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in climate adaptation and renewable energy. Both leaders also reiterated their shared desire to remain closely engaged on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024