MURREE – Pakistan and Switzerland on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on disaster management.
Under the agreement, the two countries will foster cooperation to harness technology and expertise in jointly tackling natural disasters.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony in Nathiagali, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan looked forward to receiving an advanced warning system and other gadgets from Switzerland to protect Pakistan against natural disasters. He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impact of the global climate change despite the fact that the country has very little carbon footprints.
Sharif said that Pakistan wanted to expand bilateral ties with Switzerland in diverse fields, including the tourism sector as Pakistan is blessed with natural beauty.
Lauding Swiss foreign minister’s remarks about peace in the region, Sharif said it was important to maintain peace in this part of the world and Switzerland could play a role in this regard. He said that Pakistan wanted to promote progress and prosperity, address unemployment and poverty and work on education, IT, industry, women empowerment and agriculture to improve people’s lives.
The other side, he said, should also realise this. Pakistan cannot afford tension in the region nor would it like to waste its resources, he said, adding that these resources must be invested in development of the country. He said there could be no lasting peace in this part of the world until Pakistan and India resolve their issues, including Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said that signing the MoU between the two countries was vital for collaboration against climate change. He said Pakistan was rich in cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, but it had become prone to natural disasters, resulting in last year’s floods and displacement of people with wide destruction. He said that urgent international cooperation was needed to address these disasters.
He highlighted the joint efforts between the two countries during the years 2010 and 2022 when the devastating floods struck Pakistan, adding that the Swiss government swiftly provided emergency aid and supported the affected people.
The Swiss foreign minister said they were ready to address the new challenges in the field of disaster management which went beyond the borders. He said the world needs to unite and make collateral efforts to tackle the impact of the climate change.
Earlier, the Pakistani prime minister witnessed the MoU signing. The Swiss foreign minister and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik signed the MoU. Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman was also present.
