By Aslam Chandio from Islamabad, Pakistan :: Priorities of Pakistan’s government include the economic development and peaceful neighborhood, says Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Friday said that the dialogue is the only way to move forward.
Addressing a concluding session of the International Conference, “The Global Strategic Environment in the Post-2014 Era and Pakistan” organized by School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR) Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad And Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry stated that the priorities of current government include the economic development and peaceful neighborhood.
Earlier, Chairman Strategic Vision Institute, Ross Masood Hussain and Director General Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais chaired the sessions “Eurasian Perspective and Pakistan” and “India-Pakistan Strategic environment” respectively. Director, National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS), Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Professor Dr. Tahir Amin, in his presentation on Pakistan-Russian Federation Relations in the Post Cold War Era highlighted the theoretical framework and appropriate patterns of relation and future perspectives of Pak- Russia relations.
“In the post-Cold War era, the trend is challenging. Pakistan facilitated Russian entry in OIC and Russia facilitated Pakistan entry in SCO. Russia is interested in counter terrorism, drug trafficking, and Pakistan’s positive role in Afghanistan,” stated Dr. Tahir Amin.
He said that Pakistan’s Foreign Office should consider academic input into the policy making but this is high time for Pakistan to open up its Russia option which is necessary to serve Pakistan’s interest in post 2014.
Executive Director, Pakistan China Council (PCC) Islamabad Fazal-ur-Rahman highlighted the importance of relationship between china and Pakistan. He said that new era of bilateral cooperation including economic cooperation has been fostered.
“We have been able to constitute several programs, ministerial committees to enhance greater cooperation. China has been instrumental to encourage Pakistan’s energy sectors. However Pakistan needs to do lots of homework to pursue all new emerging opportunities in the years to come” he added.
Assistant Director of Institute for Foreign Policy Studies and Research Fellow of Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, Shanghai, China Dr. Wang Weihua spoke about regional issues related to Pakistan’s internal dynamics and its relations with India, nation building process in Afghanistan and trust deficit among regional countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.
Regarding Pakistan-China relations in post 2014, he said that historical momentum will move forward while China and Pakistan are also strategic allies therefore they would continue to be friends and Pakistan has always been in priority of China.
Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan in Islamabad Mr. Sherali S. JONONOV, discussed the significance of CASA 1000 and its importance for Pakistan. “It is going to ensure a steady source of revenue for Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic, the weakest economies in Central Asia. It requires no new investment in generation because it uses surplus water that would otherwise be spilled (wasted). It also alleviates electricity shortages in Pakistan during the summer when demand is at its highest point,” he said.
President and Executive Director, Strategic Vision Institute, Islamabad, Dr. Zafar Iqbal Cheema gave an overarching view of the challenges currently faced by Pakistan. He established that out of all the threats, internal challenges based on economic, socio-political and security (traditional and non-traditional) grounds are most alarming and upsetting.
He identified Indian aggressive military designs as one of the most serious conventional security challenges to Pakistan. He stated that the chaotic situation in Middle East and changing global patterns are adding more fuel to fire. Finally he came up with recommendations for converting challenges into opportunities like establishing order within, making decision-making autonomous, analytical appreciation of global and regional order and formulation of viable strategy for safeguarding national objectives.
Director General Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad, Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), India, Dr. D. Suba Chandran, Director General, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, Islamabad, Dr. Maria Sultan, Ambassador of Turkey in Islamabad, Babur Girgin, Professor SPIR, QAU Islamabad, Dr. Lubna Abid Ali, Associate Professor, SPIR QAU Islamabad, Dr. Nazir Hussain and Assistant Professor, SPIR QAU Islamabad, Dr. Mujeeb Afzal, also presented their papers.
Aslam Chandio is an Islamabad based journalist. He tweets at @aslamchandio_