Gilani stress on dialogue for global harmony, progress

SUZHOU: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday called upon the international community to engage in dialogue for a mutual harmonious relationship and said the cultural and civilization contacts could do wonders in ensuring global peace.

The Prime Minister was addressing at the first biannual meeting of the World Cultural Forum on the theme "Dialogue and Cooperation for World Harmony and Common Development", as he reached Suzhou, some 120 kilometres from Shanghai, where he arrived last night on the first leg of his four-day visit to China.

Situated in the backdrop of serene Taihu lake, the site of World Cultural Forum hosted more than 500 participants from across the world including political leaders, intellectuals and prominent cultural figures.

The Prime Minister stressed on the global leaders to utilize the softer tool of cultural contacts to minimize the distances amongst them. He mentioned the evergreen friendship between Pakistan and China, whose peoples benefited from their rich interactions spanning several millenniums between the Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations and the Chinese civilization. “The amalgam is not only beautiful but strong and precious. The themes of harmony resonate and form the national ethos of the people's of Pakistan and China," he said.