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Date: 13/05/2009   

REMARKS BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER AT THE HEADS OF DELEGATIONS’ SESSION 

13 MAY 2009

Honourable Heads of Delegations,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen

I have great pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to you to the Heads of Delegations’ session of the 3rd RECCA meeting. It is a unique occasion for us to benefit from each others insights and suggestions and to combine our efforts and resources for regional development and cooperation with a view to assisting our brotherly neighbour Afghanistan in its development process. We all share an abiding commitment to Afghanistan’s stability and its socio-economic development. There is great deal of convergence amongst the participants on how to move forward in a pragmatic and concrete manner.

Your constructive approach and partnership gives me great confidence in our ability to collectively design a substantive and forward-looking, trans-regional development agenda.

We have earlier today received a comprehensive presentation on the current status of regional development and economic cooperation. Technical working groups are meeting simultaneously to discuss thematic and sector specific cooperation.

Importantly, not far from here, a parallel private sector conference is deliberating on promoting business opportunities in Afghanistan.
The task before us, as I see it, is to examine in a broader context, prospects of strengthening regional cooperation and capacities. We have to especially focus on promoting multi dimensional development cooperation with Afghanistan, including capacity building;  strengthening trans-regional development cooperation; promoting trans-border cooperation with Afghanistan; rehabilitation of Afghan refugees and the role of important regional organizations like ECO, SCO, SAARC and the EU in this entire endeavour. 

Excellencies,
To accelerate the process of Afghanistan’s socio-economic development and to channel its vast resources, regional cooperation holds the key importance.

Effective regional cooperation will not just transform the economic landscape of the region, it will be an effective bulwark against the destructive forces of extremism and militant ideologies.

For Pakistan, Afghanistan has always held paramount significance. Our two countries and bound by geography, common history, culture, traditions and our glorious faith. What happens to one invariably impacts the other.

I am happy to report that the democratic Government of Pakistan has brought about a fundamental transformation in our relations with Afghanistan. Our two countries are now involved in a very constructive multi-track engagement.
Through intensive interaction, including at the leadership level, we are developing much deeper trust and greater understanding. We have just had another excellent round of interaction between the leaderships of the two countries in Washington.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of signing with my brother Foreign Minister Spanta, a joint declaration on Directions of Bilateral Cooperation. The declaration envisages a futuristic partnership in a broader regional context.

It is a matter of immense satisfaction that regional cooperation is also an integral element of Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy. The previous two RECCAs have done commendable work in crafting a strategy and a vision in this direction. And the Paris, Moscow and the Hague Conferences have endorsed this approach.

These meetings have stressed the need for more focused, incremental steps towards trans-regional development. Capacity requirements of Afghanistan have been highlighted and short-listing doables with quick gestation periods emphasized.

In pursuance of these decisions, Pakistan is pleased to table nine projects that we feel will have an immediate and visible impact.

Briefly, in the area of infrastructure and transport connectivity, we are proposing the extension of the Chaman rail head up to Spin Boldak. By linking Afghanistan by rail to Pakistani sea ports, the project seeks to significantly trim transit transport costs. We are also planning dualizing the Torkham – Jalalabad Highway.

Last week, Foreign Minister Spanta and I signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding in Washington to improve trade and accession facilitation to generate economic growth and trade as well as to improve conditions for international and cross border trade and transit arrangements.

Our two governments have agreed to fast track the conclusion of Afghanistan and Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement no later than December 31, 2009. We have also agreed to set up a joint Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Committee to coordinate and resolve all issues relating to cross-border commerce and inland trade.

In the domain of energy trade, the Central Asia – South Asia Regional Electricity Market Initiative has made appreciable headway. A concrete understanding has been reached on the first phase of this project, CASA 1000, with key partner – the World Bank during our just concluded visit to Washington. We are confident that with the support of international financial institutions, the project will reach early fruition.

Pakistan feels that congruent socio-economic conditions place Afghanistan’s neighbours in a suitable position to build capacity of Afghan institutions and offer Afghans quality education at competitive prices. To this end, Pakistan has announced award of one thousand scholarships to Afghan students in Pakistani institutes of higher learning. We are also proposing setting up of regional vocational training centers. Such centers will yield tangible results in short period of time at affordable investment.

The Government of Pakistan is also actively considering an Afghan request concerning medical treatment facilities for Afghan patients in Pakistan.

To facilitate a dignified, honorable and economically sustainable refugee return, we also wish to place before you, the establishment of model rehabilitation centers that would provide employment opportunities, civic amenities and will enable returnees to contribute in the reconstruction of their homeland.

Finally, there are Pakistan-Afghanistan joint projects on animal and plant disease control.

We are confident that these projects will receive endorsement of the participant countries and the support of the donor community.
In conclusion I would like to once again underscore the need for much greater and more organized efforts for regional cooperation. Already Pakistan and Afghanistan are engaged in separate trilateral initiatives involving our common friends, Iran, Turkey and the United States. The recent SCO Conference on Afghanistan has helped further strengthen SCO’s engagement with Afghanistan in the in regional context. These are all welcome steps.  I am confident, that this Conference will further the objective of closer regional cooperation for the c development of Afghanistan.

With these words, I open the floor for discussions.