Pakistan and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pool resources, knowledge and experience in disaster risk management.

“We would be looking forward to having cooperation from Switzerland in terms of getting an advanced warning system, technology, and other facets which really would secure Pakistan as much as possible from natural disasters,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the two sides signed an MoU.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik signed the agreement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nathia Gali. Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, ministers, NDMA chairman and relevant authorities were present on the occasion.

Pakistan faces some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world, ranked 18 out of 191 countries by the 2019 Inform Risk Index. The devastating floods of 2022 inflicted an estimated loss of $3 billion on the country, caused over 1,700 deaths and displaced eight million people.

He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change, despite the fact that the country had very little carbon emissions. “We are not at fault at all.”

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. He admitted that the country lacked the infrastructure to promote tourism.

He appreciated the Swiss foreign minister’s remarks about the peace in the region. It was important to maintain peace in this part of the world, said PM Shehbaz and added that Switzerland could play the “role of a catalyst” to promote peaceful discussions in the region.

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

“The other side should have honest introspection,” the premier said, “it takes two to tango. So I think we cannot afford tension in this area. We cannot afford to waste our resources on fighting wars as they have not been of any help in the past. So I think we must we are absolutely convinced that we should commit our resources in investing in the development of the country.”

He was of the view that the leadership on the other side should “feel the same way”. But he stressed that states should resolve their issues, including Kashmir, to have lasting peace in the region. “Without that, we would not have peace in this part of the region.”

Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis described the signing of the agreement as “vital” for collaboration against climate change.

“Pakistan is rich in cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes,” he said and lamented that the country has become prone to natural disasters, resulting in last year’s floods, displacement of people with wide destruction.

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

He extended his government’s cooperation in this regard and reaffirmed to further strengthen the bilateral ties and to pool their resources in this field. Cassis 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 they required global unity and collateral efforts.

Meeting with Swiss foreign minister

PM Shehbaz has reiterated the importance Pakistan attached to its relations with Switzerland.

The prime minister received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis. The Swiss foreign minister, accompanied by three members of the Parliament, is on a bilateral visit to Pakistan from 7-9 July at the invitation of the prime minister, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance bilateral ties, especially in the areas of climate change, trade and investment, development cooperation, higher education and vocational training.

The prime minister thanked the Swiss government for providing support to Pakistan in the aftermath of last year’s devastating floods.

He also appreciated the Swiss businesses’ approach to the resolution of issues and their work ethic, and invited more Swiss companies to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the renewable energy and IT sectors.

The two sides also agreed to collaborate in tourism promotion including eco-tourism and development of related infrastructure using both the G2G and B2B channels. In this regard, it was agreed that a meeting would be convened shortly to further spell out modes of cooperation.

Both sides also agreed on disaster management, early warning and carbon market collaboration.