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PR. No. 170/2009
Date: 27/04/2009
FOREIGN MINISTER'S OPENING REMARKS AT PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN-IRAN MINISTERIAL FORUM KABUL , 27 APRIL 2009
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My brothers,
Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
It is a matter of great pleasure for me to be in Kabul once again to participate in the trilateral forum of Foreign Ministers. I wish to thank my friend and brother, Foreign Minister Spanta for his warm and cordial hospitality.
Excellencies,
Pakistan , Afghanistan and Iran are bound by time-tested bonds of friendship and amity. Ours is a kinship transcending the domains of culture and commerce, history and heritage, faith and spirituality. Our peoples share common hopes, interests and concerns.
Moreover, we have greater sense and sensibility of our own problems and prospects than any other, and as a result are better poised to evolve indigenous prescriptions for lasting peace, stability, development and prosperity.
I take great satisfaction in recalling the excellent initiative launched by the leaderships of our three countries at the historic Tenth ECO Summit last month in Tehran . Pakistan views the trilateral mechanism as an important plank of a holistic regional approach towards issues of development and stability in the region. The assembling of our three contiguous brotherly countries on a single platform is in accord with the will and the aspirations of our peoples for greater cooperation and closer coordination.
It is my firm belief that through this initiative, Pakistan , Afghanistan and Iran can forge a forward looking development agenda in an atmosphere of trust, understanding and goodwill.
In creating new partnerships, our sight must be set on horizons beyond today's trials and tribulations. We have to look to the clear skies beyond the dark cloud, and chart a flight trajectory to a tomorrow of hope and promise.
This is a vision grounded, not in rhetoric but in reality. Our region is endowed with unmatched wealth, not the least of which is our strong human resource. There is no reason why we cannot synergize our energies, and harness our collective potential.
The Senior Officials meeting in Islamabad a few days ago produced some very positive outcomes. We agreed on the fundamentals of our tripartite cooperation. We developed a consensus on giving strong impetus to the trilateral process in the political, economic, development, reconstruction and social fields, and prepare a Framework of Cooperation and pragmatic Plan of Action.
Pakistan has come to this meeting with a vision and a plan. I submit for your consideration a draft Joint Declaration on the Framework of Trilateral Cooperation. This document could be placed before our leaderships at the Second Trilateral Summit in Iran for adoption.
As agreed in Tehran , We should continue this consultative process regularly. Our consultations must focus on finding ways and means to address common issues confronting the region.
While promoting greater exchanges among our intelligentsia and civil society, we must undertake focused endeavours for socioeconomic uplift of our masses. Concerted efforts have to be made for the safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees through creation of appropriate pull factors within Afghanistan .
The trans-regional development agenda has to given concrete shape. It must include immediate steps for creating infrastructural and energy connectivity. We must initiate trilateral projects for economic development and promoting trade through regional and bilateral arrangements that afford full involvement of our private sectors.
It is our expectation that our discussions today will be fruitful and substantive, and will generate even greater momentum towards a regional approach that delivers tangible results. Let us move forward, step by step, with purpose and conviction.
Thank You
Unq uote
Islamabad
27 April 2009
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