Pakistan has emphasized the need for resolution of Kashmir dispute for durable peace in the region, as she appreciated the role of international community in de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India.
Speaking at a conference titled Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Future Prospects and Regional Connectivity, organized by Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS), Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua said that resolution of Kashmir dispute was indispensable for peace in the region. The Conference had the participation of the SCO Member and Observer States. The host President CGSS Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery stated that SCO was a powerful platform for partnerships to promote peace, to build mutual trust, and spur economic development for shared prosperity with the confidence that we would be able to change the world for the better.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua as the Chief Guest of the occasion presented her views on Role of Pakistan in Regional Peace and Prosperity and stated that the region is transforming from unipolar to multipolar world. Russia and China are the significant players of the region. The demand and growth ration is very importance for the interstate relations. Pakistan is playing important role in eliminating the menace of terrorism from the region. She vowed to cooperate and enhance the relations with the P5 countries. Talking about Indo-Pak relations, she stated that the upcoming elections in India cannot determinate the future of this region.
She said Pakistan desired resolution of the lingering dispute of Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. Referring to the recent escalation in tension between Pakistan and India, the foreign secretary Pakistan being a responsible state, responded to India with determination, patience and responsibly in the post Pulwama situations.
She said Pakistan briefed the P5 [permanent five of UN Security Council] countries about Pakistan’s position. She also referred to the steps taken by Pakistan to reduce the tension including returning back of high commissioners, resumption of the service of Samjhauta Express and the upcoming dialogue on Kartarpur Corridor on March 14.
She also appreciated the role of the world community in de-escalating tension between the two neighbouring countries. She said that development and prosperity was only possible through peace and stability in the region. She also stated that the upcoming elections in India could not determinate the future of the region.
Tehmina Janjua stated that the region was transforming from uni-polar to multi-polar world, with Russia and China being the significant players of the region. She stated that the demand and growth ration was very important for the interstate relations. She said Pakistan was playing important role in eliminating the menace of terrorism from the region.
For the restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan, she said Pakistan had taken several peace inactivates and had taken US, China and Russia on board and had forced the international powers to initiate peace dialogues. She said that durable peace in Afghanistan was only possible through intra-Afghan dialogue, adding Afghan people themselves have to decide their future and Pakistan is always ready to facilitate the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.”
Referring to Eastern borders, she stated that Pakistan was currently facing the issue of drug trafficking and radicalization, but ‘we have struggled hard to eliminates these factors successfully and have transformed Pakistan into a peaceful country and tourist destination’.
The speaker from China, Professor Sun Zhuangzhi – Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European, Central Asia Studies and Secretary General of Center for Shanghai Cooperation Organization Study, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China addressed the participants of the Conference on “The Strategic Positioning and Development Direction of the Expanded SCO”. He stated that it is necessary to position the SCO as a new type of regional cooperation organization at the international level. The expanded SCO should not change its current way and focus of work.
The speaker from Russia, Dr. Leonid Gusev – Expert, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Moscow, Russia presented speech on “The fight against terrorist organizations in the countries of Central Asia, members of SCO. Connections with terrorist organizations in the Middle East”. Representing Pakistan, Ambassador Syed Hasan Javed – Director, Chinese Studies Centre, School Of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad presented speech on “SCO’s Future Discourse and Opportunities for the Region”. He stated that SCO is romance of three civilizations and I recommend that there should be an advisory board comprising of members who have knowledge of three regional language i.e. English, Russian and Chinese. We must sign trade agreements to remove trade barriers and ease in the visa regimes.
From Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Mustafayev – Head of The Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan presented speech on “Multilateral Security cooperation to address the security issues in the region”. He stated that positive experience has been achieved in jointly solving the intra-regional security problems in various fields. Uzbekistan with Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic signed the plan of complex measures for 2018 – 2019 on the issues. It is important to determine the main areas of cooperation with regional and international organizations in the field of regional security.
Representing Kazakhstan, Arman Tynabek, Deputy Head of Missions, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan presented speech on “Prospects of intra-regional trade in the SCO region”. He stated that SCO is emerging as one of the significant multilateral platform in the region as it vows to fight the real time challenges being faced by the member states.
From Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Seitzhan Apyshev, Adviser to Director, National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic (NISS KR), Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic presented speech on “Multilateral Cooperation in Cultural Exchange”.
He stated that cooperation in the field of culture is one of the most important activates of SCO as it helps to strengthen long-term good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation between our traditionally close friends not only geographically, but also in spirit of peoples and countries.
Zahoor Ahmed, Additional Secretary, National Coordinator of Pakistan for SCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that in this ever-changing world, achieving peace, stability and prosperity was the main predicament which was solved by SCO.
He said SCO emerged as a natural platform and representative of 3.2 billion people and it formed a universal model and was not developed against any other country. He said SCO had a greater potential to forge strong ties between regional states and Pakistan could contribute to the SCO forum by sharing its experiences of fight against terrorism and being a significant part of the UN peacekeeping missions.
Maj Gen Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery (retd), President CGSS, in his address, stated “SCO is a powerful platform for partnerships to promote peace, to build mutual trust, and spur economic development for shared prosperity with the confidence that we would be able to change the world for the better.”
Seitzhan Apyshev, Adviser to Director, National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic (NISS KR), Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, said that cooperation in the field of culture was one of the most important activates of SCO as it helped to strengthen long-term good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation between our traditionally close friends not only geographically, but also in spirit of peoples and countries.
Prof Elena Dostanko, head of Academic Affairs Unit, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus, stated that SCO was an organization which is aimed at achieving closer cooperation in the region. She pointed out that mega projects like CPEC, BRI and Eurasian economic region had huge potential for the economic stability of the region. That sectoral cooperation boosts the relations among regional states, she added.
Syed Majid Ghafelehbashi, senior research fellow, Institute of Political and International Studies (IPIS), Tehran, Iran, stated that like SCO, Iranian foreign policy was also focused at multilateralism and have an advancing neighborhood policy. Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi (retd), former Federal Minister of Defence, stated that there is need of geo-strategy for the flow of resources across the region. He said through the platform of SCO we must promote positive and stronger image of Pakistan to defend ourselves.
