ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday inaugurated the first high-level inter-agency meeting of Science Diplomacy initiative, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The initiative is aimed at building constructive international partnerships in the field of science and technology and dealing effectively with trans-boundary challenges such as climate, energy, water, poverty reduction, health and education, according to the statement.
"The initiative will improve Pakistan's access to smart technologies and international technical assistance, especially in the context of the implementation of the sustainable development goals," Qureshi said while addressing the meeting.
He added that the initiative would focus on establishing international research collaborations, capacity building, improving public health, matching labor skills with international market requirements.
The meeting was attended by senior representatives from health, education, science and technology, energy, climate change, food security and industries. The participants have also presented proposals in their areas of expertise, outlining possible avenues for international cooperation.
Input and feedback would be obtained from both public and private sector stakeholders by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to devise a plan of action to facilitate international science and technology initiative collaborations.
The initiative was rolled out in September last year with the establishment of the Science Diplomacy Division to act as a mediator between national science and technology stakeholders and international partners.
