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PR. No. 283/2009

Date: 23/07/2009   

STATEMENT BY FOREIGN MINISTER AT THE 16 TH ARF MINISTERIAL MEETING PHUKET , THAILAND – 23 JULY 2009

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- Mr. Chairman

- Excellencies

•  Ladies and Gentlemen

At the outset, I wish to express my gratitude and that of my delegation for the gracious hospitality extended to us by our Thai hosts. The beautiful surroundings of Phuket and impeccable arrangements by our Thai friends have provided a perfect setting for our free-flowing interaction.

Pakistan values its association with the ASEAN Regional Forum. The “Vision Statement” proposed to be adopted by 16 th ARF is a timely initiative and will help chart the future course, this entity needs to follow to achieve its stated objectives.

Excellencies,

We are living in unpredictable times. Our international system is in a state of flux.

Turmoil in various regions, ongoing conflicts, unresolved disputes, terrorism and militancy, food, energy and financial crisis, environmental degradation, natural disasters, inadequacies of the global trading and financial system, the so-called civilisational divide, are serious challenges the world is confronted with.

On the positive side we can discern a healthy trend towards deepening regional integration, development of cooperative mechanisms to deal with issues of peace and security, acceptance of the need to confront terrorism and a growing realisation for reform of the present global financial and economic architecture. Geo-economics is shaping geo-politics.

However, the challenges faced by us are overwhelming. We see an inability to address festering conflicts, high level of military spendings, stockpiling of arms, environmental and health challenges. Global rules or mechanisms established to deal with issues of peace, security and development have become inadequate or weak. We are not employing the UN Charter to its full use for peaceful settlement of disputes or conflict prevention. We need to arrest this drift endangering the international security system. In order to promote peace, security and stability at the bilateral, regional and global levels, it is imperative to create interdependencies and partnerships that ensure a win-win situation for all.

To respond to multiple challenges, both developed and developing countries have to play their part, since security and economic development are indivisible. Any architecture which promotes growth of a few and ignores the concerns of majority, will be unsustainable. Interest of all countries will need to be taken on board in developing global partnerships. Developing countries need a pro-development enabling environment, effective participation in global economic decision making, rule-based and level playing trading and financial regime and support from developed countries and international financial institutions to pursue their growth and development objectives.

A stable regional environment is a pre-requisite for economic development underpinned by cooperative relations. Pakistan is part of an extended neighbourhood of not one region but several inter-connected regions. Our demography plus geo-economic location confers numerous advantages for our sustained growth. In South Asia , the greatest challenge is to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and disease. We have a shared responsibility to channel all our energies for the betterment of our people who constitute 1/5 th of this planet's population. And for this, we need an enabling environment of peace and stability.

While our region may be in the spotlight currently due to terrorism and militancy, the fact remains that this region has much more to offer to the world in terms of its economic and human potential. It is unfortunate that the issue of terrorism today overshadows this potential.

Mr. Chairman,

Pakistan is engaged in the fiercest battles against terrorism. We are waging this war to save the ‘soul' of Pakistan . It is in our interest to root out this menace once for all as the terrorists threaten to rip apart the fabric of our society and undermine our region's development prospects.

Perhaps no country has suffered more in human and material terms than Pakistan due to war on terror. Since 2001, Pakistan has been subjected to more than 6000 terrorist attacks. We are still hosting nearly 3 million Afghan refugees.

We are grateful for the assistance international community has extended to us. The Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum came forward to pledge over $ 5 billion in Tokyo in April this year. We appreciate this cooperative approach.

We are pursuing a comprehensive strategy of dialogue, development and deterrence. We, are building domestic consensus and people's ownership of the struggle against terrorism. This approach is bearing fruit. International community can assist Pakistan in implementing this strategy through building our capacity.

Excellencies,

With Afghanistan , our destiny is interlinked. Peace and stability in Afghanistan is vital for our own security and for trans-national regional cooperation. Pakistan 's engagement in multiple tracks and trilateral processes reflects our desire to be a proactive partner with international community to stabilize Afghanistan . Pakistan will offer all assistance for the conduct of free and fair elections in Afghanistan .

We are encouraged by President Obama's pronouncements that the problem of extremism and terrorism needs a “regional” and a “comprehensive” approach. We have underscored the need for a “multifaceted comprehensive strategy”. Ongoing campaign against terrorism cannot be won by military means alone. The military surge needs to be backed by political and development surge.

The regional states would have to play their role in preventing the flow of money and weapons into Pakistan and in curbing the narco trade, which is feeding terrorism and keeping the region destabilized.

Mr. Chairman,

We view ourselves as a natural trade and energy corridor for facilitating intra-regional and inter-regional economic integration. We attach great importance to our relations with countries of Asia-Pacific region. We wish to expand our ties with the ASEAN community. This is part of our ‘Vision East Asia' policy. We seek to build complementarities with our Asian partners to reap mutually beneficial dividends. We believe that Asia , which has tremendous resources, both natural and human, is fully endowed to lead in defining the new security and economic paradigm.

Thank you

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Islamabad

23 July 2009