KABUL: (MEP) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani leading a high-ranking delegations arrived in Islamabad early Wednesday to attend Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process ministerial conference.
Ghani is expected to meet with a number of foreign ministers and representatives of foreign countries separately during the summit.
The president is also willing to participate at the trilateral summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States as well as taking part at the quartet summit between Afghanistan, Pakistan, china and the United States.
READ MORE: The Fifth ‘Heart of Asia ─ Istanbul Process’ Ministerial Conference
President Ashraf Ghani, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif opened the fifth ‘Heart of Asia ─ Istanbul process’ ministerial conference in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Nawaz, while addressing the conference, called for an intensification of efforts in order to “move forward from a conceptual domain to tangible landmarks for the implementation of concrete ideas, projects and visions in the heart of Asia”.
“Working for the achievement of a peaceful neighbourhood is a cardinal principal of Pakistan’s foreign policy. We firmly believe that peace is vital for development, and development is vital for durable peace.” he stated.
“Afghanistan is a sovereign state and the international community fully respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the premier said, adding that the democratically elected government in Afghanistan is the only legitimate authority in the country in accordance with its unanimously adopted constitution.
The prime minister recalled remarks he made during a visit to Kabul in May 2015: “The enemies of Afghanistan are the enemies of Pakistan.”
He said the Pakistani government would continue to support an Afghan-owned and led peace and reconciliation process “which remains the most viable option to end violence and promote stability in Afghanistan”.
“The massive cross-border movement of refugees constitutes a security risk and is exploited by the miscreants for their nefarious designs,” Nawaz said, adding that efforts for stability in Afghanistan should envisage the return and resettlement of Afghan refugees to their homeland in a dignified manner.
“For us, Afghanistan is more than a neighbour. Our cordial ties are rooted in shared history, common religion, cultural and linguistic affinities and people to people relations since time immemorial. Due to these close bonds, Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan,” he said.
The PM reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its relations with all its neighbours and regional countries, as well as promoting regional cooperation and connectivity.
During the opening session of the conference on Tuesday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai laid emphasis on regional cooperation for defeating terrorism.
“In our view, closer regional cooperation can play an effective role in eliminating the scourge of terrorism,” Aziz said.
Khalil Karzai called for united action against militancy in the region saying, “We strongly believe that today, like never before, regional and international circumstances require a united and collective approach in the fight against the scourge of terrorism and extremism.”
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan were reflected during the inaugural session as Karzai, without naming Pakistan, called for an end to support for Taliban.
“Vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, which is in the best interest of the region, is far from becoming reality unless we put an end to financial, logistical and ideological support enjoyed by militants in our region,” he said.
In the past, Afghan officials have openly accused Pakistan of backing Taliban insurgents.
The theme of the conference, jointly hosted by Pakistan and Afghanistan, is ‘Heart of Asia — Istanbul Process: Enhanced cooperation for countering security threats and promoting connectivity in the Heart of Asia region’.
The Foreign Office said earlier that high-ranking delegations from 14 participating states, 17 supporting countries and 12 international and regional organisations are expected to participate in the conference.
It said Foreign Ministers from 10 countries have confirmed participation in the conference.
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates are part of the initiative launched in 2011 for encouraging economic and security cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours for dealing with the common problems of terrorism, extremism and poverty.
