ISLAMABAD, March 13: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has been successful in transforming economic ties with friendly countries into economic links to replace aid with trade.

This was stated by Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Ali Durrani at a news conference on Sunday.

Responding to a query, he brushed aside the suggestion that his holding of press conference had in anyway bypassed the information minister who was also the chief spokesman for the government or the foreign minister and minister of state for foreign affairs.

Mr Durrani said the prime minister had focussed his attention on developing cordial relations with 12 important countries, besides taking several confidence-building measures.

He said the prime minister had done away with the tilt in the country’s foreign policy towards the West and had taken new initiatives to make Saarc and OIC effective forums.

When asked about the exact amount of investment the prime minister had been able to attract during his foreign trips, the minister of state said the objective of contacting the right people to bring investment was achieved.

Mr Durrani further claimed that Prime Minister Aziz, through his professionalism and result-oriented strategy, had been able to highlight the country’s image as an enlightened and moderate state.

During the period under review, he said the prime minister had a chance to meet 32 heads of state, 17 heads of government and 103 ministers from 47 countries. Besides 40 memorandums of understanding were signed with nine-friendly countries and many more were in the pipeline.