After Pakistan was left out of an 18-country moot on development on the sidelines of the BRICS moot, China came out on Monday to offer support to Islamabad, noting that it was an important member of the group of friends. During Monday’s regular briefing at International Press Center (IPC), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Pakistan was an important member of the group of friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Asked about Pakistan’s inclusion in the dialogue, Lijian said: “The decision to hold the high-level dialogue on global development was based on consultation among BRICS countries.” “China highly valued the important role of Pakistan in promoting global development and advancing implementation of the UN 2030 agenda for a sustainable development and booting regional cooperation,” he said. Reiterating that Pakistan is an all-weather strategic cooperative partner of China, he added that both countries maintain close communication and coordination. “We have conducted substantial cooperation in the field of development, which has delivered tangible benefits to the people in both countries and the region,” he said, adding, “Pakistan remains a priority partner for China in implementing the Global Development Initiative and we will continue to work with Pakistan to advance the global development agenda.”