Mr. Chairman.
Distinguished Foreign Ministers of CICA Member States.
I express my sincere gratitude to the outgoing Chairman Foreign Minister of Tajikistan for able and dynamic leadership of CICA during the last two years. I also thank the outgoing Executive Director for his valuable contributions.
I congratulate His Excellency Mr. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, as Kazakhstan assumes the CICA’s Chairmanship and welcome the new Executive Director.
Excellencies
COVID-19 has affected the entire globe with unprecedented health, humanitarian and economic challenges.
Cooperative multilateralism offers the best mechanism to effectively address these complex challenges. The United Nations and its Charter provides the over-arching framework for such cooperation.
Pakistan, like other nations, has worked for a concerted international effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and develop a vaccine that is accessible to all as a global public good.
Prime Minister Imran Khan proposed “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries to achieve enhanced fiscal capacity to tackle the negative consequences of the pandemic.
Mr. Chairman
We have prioritized promotion of peace and security in and around Pakistan. We believe that a peaceful and secure environment, regionally as well as globally, would substantially contribute towards sustainable economic growth and development, reduction in poverty and enhance the welfare of our people.
The launch of Intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha was a historic occasion. Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan has long maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Political solution is the only way forward. We are gratified that our perspective is now widely shared across the international community.
The Afghan leaders must now seize this historic opportunity and work for an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.
Successful culmination of Intra-Afghan negotiations remains indispensable for peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. Pakistan fully facilitated the process that culminated in the US-Taliban Peace Agreement in Doha on 29 February 2020. We feel gratified that we have fulfilled our part and the responsibility. We hope all stakeholders will recognize the onerous responsibility and play their part in ensuring success. Spoilers, from within and from without, however, can pose formidable challenges. Constant vigilance will be required to guard against their machinations.
Sustainable peace in South Asia would remain a dream if the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is not resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The unprecedented, brutal and inhuman military siege and communications’ blockade, especially since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 has destroyed lives, crippled livelihoods, and imperilled the very identity of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).
Repression against Kashmiris and denying them their fundamental right of self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, is against the fundamental principles of CICA.
Excellencies
Pakistan has always been at the forefront of all international initiatives for promoting peace, tolerance, inter-cultural and inter-faith harmony and respect both at home and abroad.
We are particularly alarmed at the global resurgence of xenophobia, Islamophobia, hatred and acts of violence against minorities. Even as victims of violence belong to diverse religious minorities across the world, there is a disproportionate growth in hate speech and stigmatization of Muslim communities and individuals, including in our neighbourhood.
Pakistan is committed to promoting peace, stability and development in our region. In this context, connectivity plays an important role. Pakistan fully supports China’s Belt and Road Initiative and we are proud to be a key player in one of its flagship projects - China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which, besides our own national development is sure to benefit our Central Asian and Eurasian neighbours.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Pakistan's firm commitment to global and regional peace and stability, and its commitment to the socio-economic welfare of its people through partnerships at the regional and sub-regional levels and cordial relations with all states on the basis of sovereign equality.
Pakistan remains ready to play its part for the realization of this vision which is also the very basis of the founding of this Organisation.
I thank you.
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