Pak/India relations dented by mistrust: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Pakistan continues to build a relationship with Russia based on trust, understanding and close cooperation: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Pak Chronicle Web Desk
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Pakistan is committed to forging good relations with all major powers. Beyond the U.S. and China, this includes Russia, Europe and Japan as well as ASEAN and the Republic of Korea.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made these comments at the 50th Foundation Day of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) on Friday.
He said Pakistan reinforced and deepened our traditional partnerships with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Iran, and Qatar.
The foreign minister said he sees a positive trend in Pakistan-Africa bilateral linkages in terms of trade, political, parliamentary, military and security Cooperation.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan has clearly voiced its opposition to any bloc politics or relapse into the Cold War. Forging military alliances and assigning the role of ‘net security provider’ to some countries at the expense of others is fraught with grave consequences, he added.
“In our view, the main driver for international relations should be cooperation, not confrontation. There is everything to be gained from economic inter-dependence and peaceful coexistence; and everything to lose from a mindless drift into confrontation and conflict. We hope prudence will prevail and the world would step back from the precipice,” he further stated.
According to him the all-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China has been enduring and mutually-beneficial over several decades.
“China remains a steadfast and reliable partner, and our bilateral ties continue to strengthen across myriad fields. Pakistan is fully committed to ensuring the success of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has a transformational effect as it completes its first decade this year. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor’s extension to Afghanistan and further West would help significantly advance our agenda of connectivity and economic integration,” he stated.
He said there has been a positive momentum in the Pak-US relationship. The new government took over when the momentum of bilateral ties had stalled. Proactive outreach resulted in high-level visits from both sides. We are confident that de-hyphenation of relations would further contribute to strengthening of our bilateral relations, the foreign minister remarked.
According to him with Russia, Pakistan continues to build a relationship based on trust, understanding and close cooperation on regional and international issues of common concern. There is so much potential to be realized across multiple sectors, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated.
“As a friend of both Russia and Ukraine, we hope that there will be move towards peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. As Pakistan has stressed throughout, there has to be an adherence to the time-honored principles of inter-state relations and the UN Charter – including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Europe had forsaken war; we earnestly hope the current drift would be reversed and a beginning would be made towards addressing mutual concerns and building sustainable peace in Europe again,” he said.
Pakistan’s relations with India dented by mistrust
According to the foreign minister as far as Pakistan’s relationship with India is concerned, currently, it is marked by an atmosphere of mistrust, primarily due to India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019. “Pakistan is committed to having cooperative and good-neighborly relations with India, on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equalities.
To move forward, India will have to address the obstacles that hinder peaceful coexistence, reverse its illegal measures in IIOJK, and create an enabling environment for meaningful engagement and result-oriented dialogue.
Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
If this dispute is resolved in a just and fair manner, not only durable peace will be established in South Asia but also the peace dividends would contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the 1/5 (one fifth) of humanity residing in our region,” the foreign minister maintained.
He said he had the opportunity to visit GOA this year to participate in the SCO-CFM. The SCO Heads of State (HOS) meeting is going to be held soon in India.
He said as Pakistan was considering mode of Prime Minister’s participation in the SCO summit, India announced to hold the summit in virtual format. Pakistan is committed to engagement through multilateral organizations including SCO, UN and other multilateral organizations.
He said in light of the recent political developments in Afghanistan, the international community must maintain a pragmatic approach and constructive engagement. Abandoning Afghanistan or its 40 million people during this critical phase could lead to unimaginable consequences.
He said the international community must continue to provide support and assistance to avert any potential humanitarian disaster and help build a sustainable economy for the long-term development of Afghanistan. Simultaneously, Pakistan hopes that the Taliban authorities would be responsive to the expectations of the international community. He said the Afghan Interim Government must ensure inclusivity, respect for human rights of all Afghans, and effective counter-terrorism action.
Ends
