Pakistan has asked the ASEAN member countries to consider making investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The call was made by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood while delivering a keynote address at the Experts Dialogue on Pakistan-ASEAN: Shared Future and the Way Forward".

The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan accords high priority to its relations with South East Asian nations.

He specifically stressed the importance of forging closer cooperation between Pakistan and ASEAN in political, economic, security, tourism, education and socio-cultural domains.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the range of steps taken by Pakistan to foster multifaceted engagement and deepen trade and economic linkages with ASEAN member states. He said this is in line with Pakistan's economic diplomacy outreach and consistent with the leadership's emphasis on geo-economics.