Pakistan and Switzerland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) over disasters management under which Islamabad will get advanced technology and other gadgets to secure country from natural disasters, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The MoU was signed at an impressive ceremony held at Nathiagali and was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and visiting Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

Addressing the MoU signing ceremony in Nathiagali on Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and Switzerland over disasters management as vital step which would promote cooperation between the two countries to harness technology and expertise in future to tackle the natural catastrophe jointly.

Shehbaz Sharif said that they looked forward for the Swiss cooperation in terms of getting advanced warning system and other gadgets to secure Pakistan as much as possible from natural disasters. He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change, despite the fact that the country had very little carbon emissions.

The prime minister also expressed that they wanted to further expand bilateral ties with Switzerland in diverse fields including the tourism sector as Pakistan was blessed with natural beauty.

Appreciating the Swiss foreign minister’s remarks over the peace in region, the prime minister said that it was important to maintain peace in this part of the world and Switzerland could play a role of catalyst to promote peace in the region.

He said that Pakistan liked to promote progress, prosperity, eradicate unemployment, poverty, enhance education, IT, industry, women empowerment and agriculture for the well-being of the people.

The other side, he said, should also realize it. Pakistan could not afford tension in the region nor would like to waste its resources, they must commit their resources to the development of the country, he stressed.

The prime minister reiterated that there could be no lasting peace in this part of the world till their issues including Kashmir were resolved.

Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis said that signing of 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, displacement of people with wide destruction.

The Swiss minister said these disasters required an urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate the risks associated with the natural catastrophes.

Extending his government’s cooperation in this regard, he reaffirmed to further strengthen the bilateral ties and to pool their resources in this field.

He further highlighted the joint efforts between the two countries during the years 2010 and 2022 when the devastating floods struck Pakistan, adding the Swiss government swiftly provided emergency aid and supported the affected people.

The foreign minister further said that they were ready to embark on the new challenges in the field of disaster management which went beyond the borders and stressed that these required global unity and collateral efforts.

Earlier, the prime minister and the visiting Swiss foreign minister witnessed the signing of MoU between the two countries to cooperate in the field of natural disasters. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, ministers, NDMA chairman and relevant authorities were present on the occasion.

The document between the two countries will also prove as a milestone in bringing the National Disaster Management at par with the international standards under the vision of the prime minister.

It will also help promote cooperation between Pakistan and Switzerland in forecasting the natural disasters, their impacts, swift response and rehabilitation measures.

Shortage of climate resources holding Pakistan back: Sherry

Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Sherry Rehman says Pakistan faces dual challenges of limited accessibility to climate finance and a lack of technical capacity, which impedes its progress in achieving crucial climate adaptation and mitigation goals.

She was delivering her key note address at the launch of the Climate Finance Accelerator in Islamabad, organized by the UK government.

The Minister underlined the challenge of prioritizing climate change in both sectors and highlighted the potential of such initiatives to elevate the government's narrative on climate finance.

She emphasized the significant role that programs like Climate Finance Accelerator can play in knowledge-creating, building capacity and new pathways within both the public and private sectors.

She said by creating awareness and aligning public interests with government objectives, these programs can effectively enhance the discourse on climate finance.