CGSS organizes Int’l moot to highlight importance of regional integration between countries

 

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 17: An International Conference on “Significance of Regional Connectivity for Shared Prosperity: Opportunities and Prospects” was organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. The aim of the Conference was to highlight the importance of regional integration between countries vis-à-vis socio-economic and cultural cooperation. Bahria University, Islamabad and Midas (Pvt) Limited were the collaborative partners for this Conference.

The Conference was well attended by the worthy Ambassadors of various countries to Pakistan and subject experts from Pakistan as well.

The Conference commenced by the remarks of Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad who explained the concept of the Conference. He discussed the significance of Central and South Asia connectivity. He stated that our aim is of connectivity with Eurasia and ASEAN countries. He thanked the worthy Ambassadors and the students of Bahria University for their contributions.

Prof. Dr. Adam Saud, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad in his welcomeremarks stated that regional connectivity is one of the most important themes and it is the future of the world. The future belongs to this region i.e., Asia and regional connectivity will bring development and prosperity for the whole region.

Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal, Former Federal Secretary of Information and Vice-President (Federal Region), CGSS in his opening remarks stated that connectivity and interdependence leads to independence of nations. Connectivity is the key and without that the regional issues cannot be resolved. Connectivity is important for peace and prosperity.

The Conference commenced with the speech of Atadjan Movlamov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan (Dean of Diplomatic Corps) who discussed Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy which is a roadmap for the regional peace & progress. He stated that Turkmenistan is an active member of international community and pays special attention to sustainable development. Turkmenistan is cooperating to combat global challenges. Turkmenistan focuses on development of energy sector for future development, energy security, consumption and transportation is basis of Turkmenistan’s energy sector. Turkmenistan does not only propose initiatives but also takes practical steps for their implementation. His Excellency stated that railway links and pipelines are being established to serve connectivity between different regions.

Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan discussed Kazakhstan inclusive foreign policy contours. He stated that connectivity is very important as COVID-19 has affected our economies and regional connectivity is the key to revive our economies and achieve the ultimate goal. Kazakhstan depends on natural resources. Kazakhstan pays special attention to development of communication and transportation routes. Kazakhstan has well developed infrastructure, corridors and railway links. Kazakhstan is willing to provide transit capabilities to Pakistan to enter European and Central Asian markets. Kazakhstan is an attractive country for air corridors development and it is important to develop favorable conditions for foreign investment.

Aybek Arif Usmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan discussed the role of Uzbekistan in reinvigorating the phenomena of academic cooperation into regionalism. He stated that this era is of understanding and cooperation. The focus of our leaders is on confidence building measures, security and stability for economic integration between regional countries. These initiatives have consequently developed an era of trust and integration. South Asia is the first neighboring region of Central Asia and we all are a part of this development. Pakistan is considered as the main partner of Central Asia and is considered as the main hub to provide access for Central Asia to seaports of Karachi and Gwadar. He stated that our next step towards connectivity is the railway link coming from Uzbekistan to Kabul, Jalalabad and Peshawar.

Mr. Jawad Majid, President, Summit Bank highlighted economic potential of BRI and the opportunities for regional states. This century is about economic growth of South East Asia and Asia. Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is a transcontinental long-term policy and investment program which aims at infrastructure development and acceleration of the economic integration of countries along the route of historic Silk Road. The Initiative was unveiled in 2013.Central Asian states can benefit from broader cooperation on a common project like the BRI, which may help to reduce tensions and strengthen ties. As regional integration is still in a nascent state, BRI would offer a host of additional opportunities to bind the region more closely together.

H.E. Mr. Ulanbek Totuiaev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan discussed the role of Kyrgyz Republic in broader regional connectivity between Central & South Asia. He stated that the aim of Kyrgyzstan is to enhance partnership and increase people to people connectivity. Furthermore, Kyrgyz Republic envisions to increase cooperation with Pakistan and regional countries in energy sector. Kyrgyzstan offers and alternative trade route. Kyrgyzstan acts as a regional hub for Central and South Asia connectivity.

H. E. Mustafa Yurdakul, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Pakistan stated that Turkey has made billion dollars investment for the connectivity projects that also includes natural gas pipeline. Since 1980, Turkey has invested in connectivity through Europe and Asia because of Turkey’s significant geographical location. He also discussed the concept of Islamophobia and appreciated the steps of Prime Minister Imran Khan to promote religious stance.

H.E. Andrei Metelitsa, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Pakistan discussed Pakistan-Belarus bilateral relations. He stated that Pakistan and Belarus have signed agreements on regional connectivity including political agreement to facilitate trade and investment. His Excellency also highlighted the significance of Karachi and Gwadar port for regional connectivity. He stated CPEC and maritime route also holds great significance for regional connectivity. He stated that much part of middle east and south countries contain high resources of oil and gas.

Vice-Admiral Asif Humayon HI(M), (Retd), Former Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) presented speech on “Pakistan’s Maritime Assets: Opportunities under Gwadar Port and Opportunities for Regional Countries”. He stated that cooperation in aquaculture needs to be developed. Regarding the Afghan issue, he stated that peace is necessary for development in Central Asia and to entertain benefits from CPEC. Gwadar as part of CPEC can transform into a new Dubai.

H.E Adam M. Tugio, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Pakistan discussed economic prosperity through regional cooperation and the role of Pakistan, ASEAN and Indonesia. He stated that the focus of ASEAN countries is to work on negotiation through cooperation and regional agreements. He stated that it is also the responsibility of the Government, institutions and academia to play vital role in the promotion of regional cooperation. discussed the cooperation between Pakistan and ASEAN countries. He stated that 21st century is an era of international cooperation.

H. E Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan presented speech on “Vietnam's robust economic model: Prospects for cooperation with Pakistan and Role in ASEAN”. He discussed the Vietnam’s economic model. He stated that Vietnam’s aim is to promote integration and increase trade with the regional countries as economies rely on each other for mutual benefit and win-win situation for all. Vietnam is an active partner of many regional organizations. He also stated that ASEAN plays an important role in Asia and Vietnam is a proactive member of it.

Prof. Cem Karadeli, Senior International Relations Advisor, Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Research (ANKASAM), Ankara, Turkey presented speech (Online) on “Prospects for Pakistan-Turkey Think Tank Cooperation”. He discussed that Turkey and Pakistan are old friends Their historical, cultural and religious ties make this bond stronger. Pakistan and Turkey need to establish group of common practices and ANKASAM and CGSS can play a very important role in Think Tank cooperation.

Ambassador (p) Gheorghe Savuica, President and Founder, Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA), Bucharest, Romania presented speech on “Regional Cooperation and Opportunities for Pakistan-Romania Academic Connectivity”. He discussed about the significance of regional cooperation and focused on the promotion of national interest and people-to-people connectivity. He also focused on cultural and academic cooperation. Discussing about Pakistan and Romania relations, he states that both are working for signing an MOU for cooperation.

Dr. Pek Chuen Khee, Dean, Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University and CEO, UCSI Poll Research Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia presented speech on “Enhanced Regional Integration: Exploring New Frontiers of Pakistan- Malaysia Cooperation”. He discussed the 17 sustainable development goals. He stated that the prime focus is on the economy, society and biosphere.

The Conference concluded by the speech of Rear Admiral Naveed Ahmed Rizvi (Retd), Director General, Bahira University, Islamabad. He stated that this conference is an opportunity for International Relations students to handle the challenges in the contemporary era. He stated that technology can play an important role for the connectivity. Bahria University have faculty development programs which can serve as the better solution for tomorrow problems. He thanks CGSS and Bahia university for 6 weeks internship program and organizing the conference. He said that the ambassadors offer a fresh perspective for the students for better future.

The Conference concluded with Certificate Distribution Ceremony for the interns, guest speakers who delivered lectures during the internship program, faculty members of Bahria University and the management of CGSS.

This Conference was organized to conclude the Six weeks On-Campus Internship Program for the Under-Grad Students of Bahria University which was organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. The aim of this internship program was to familiarize the students of International Relations with the changing dynamics of the country and the region. The program ensures the exposure of students to the relevant institutions and individuals.

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Trump administration, not Pakistan, enabled Afghan Taliban takeover: US Senator Chris Van Hollen

WASHINGTON, SEPT 16: US Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Tuesday that the Trump administration had enabled the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, as he vindicated Pakistan, which he said had released three top Taliban commanders on the then US government's request to push forward the Afghan peace process.

The senator, a Maryland Democrat who was born in Karachi, argued at the first senate hearing on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that it was in Pakistan’s interest to “prevent chaos and civil war” in its neighbourhood.

At Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, some Republican lawmakers blamed the Biden administration for the chaos — and the Taliban takeover — that followed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last month.

Others — both Republicans and Democrats — also targeted Pakistan for its alleged support to the Afghan Taliban during the 20-year war.

Responding to these allegations, Senator Van Hollen engaged in a dialogue with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was the main witness.

“Is it not the fact that the Trump administration asked the Pakistani government to release three top Taliban commanders as part of that process?” he asked.

“That’s correct,” Blinken replied.

Van Hollen asked a number of questions from the secretary such as Abdul Ghani Baradar being one of those released to the US negotiators, not including the former Afghan government in the Doha talks and pressuring them to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners who were later involved in Kabul's takeover, to which Blinken responded: "That's correct."

The US senator also raised the agreement reached that said US forces would leave by May and would not be attacked but there was no such restriction on attacking Afghan forces, to which Blinken said he was correct.

“And so, we pick a date. We say to the Taliban you can attack Afghan forces and then we say, now let’s negotiate the future of Afghanistan. Isn’t the way it was set up when you walked in?” the senator asked. “That’s essentially, yes," Blinken replied.

“There is a saying in Afghanistan, partners have watches, we have the time. So, the Trump administration, with this negotiation, set it up perfectly for the Taliban. Greenlight to attack the Afghan forces. No discussions going forward," Van Hollen said.

Blinken responded: “I believe that’s accurate.”

Senator Van Hollen reminded Secretary Blinken that former President Donald Trump even criticised President Joe Biden for not withdrawing the forces by May, as agreed in the US-Taliban agreement.

He noted that the Biden administration now had both Pakistan and India on the table because the Afghan dispute could not be resolved without involving regional players.

“I think a number of those countries, at least Pakistan — like India, like the others — have an interest in preventing chaos and civil war in Afghanistan,” he added.

Then returning to Pakistan, he said: “Obviously, we asked them to release prisoners that they had locked up, Taliban prisoners. So, obviously, we have to keep an eye on the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) , [I] get that, but let's all work together to achieve the goal of a stable Afghanistan that protects the rights of its people.”

Referring to some lawmakers’ hostility towards both Pakistan and the Biden administration, he repeated what another senator, Jeanne Shaheen, said earlier: “The level of hypocrisy in this Congress is staggering.”

Secretary Blinken, however, said that the United States was aware of countries such as China, Russia and Pakistan that stand as "outliers" in the effort of resolving the situation in Afghanistan, adding, "that's something we'll be very vigilant about as well."

The committee’s chairman, Senator Bob Menendez, observed that the Taliban were now ruling over Afghanistan, so the international community will have to deal with it in some form.

“But let’s not kid ourselves. There’s no such thing as a reformed Taliban,” said Senator Menendez while urging the Senate to “reimpose sanctions that were waived during the [US-Taliban] negotiations and consider new measures to impose higher costs on the group and its leaders". But he also appealed for allowing life-saving humanitarian assistance to reach the most vulnerable.

“No country should be in a rush to unilaterally recognise this regime. Implore the administration to remain focused on Afghanistan,” he warned.

Senator James Risch, the senior Republican on the committee, said he believed the Biden administration wanted to normalise ties with the Taliban government, but warned that “this must not occur without extensive congressional consultations.”

Recalling that the committee’s chairman had called this “a difficult but important situation”, he added: “We also must understand Pakistan’s role in this entire matter.”

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, was worried about the impact of the current situation on India. “India has to be looking at this, saying if the United States could have … Pakistan unravel its aims, what chance do they have confronting China?”

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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55 percent Pakistanis ‘happy’ with Taliban takeover of Afghanistan: survey

 

• More people in rural areas expressed displeasure over Taliban rule compared to in urban centers
• Highest number of people rejoicing Taliban takeover was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 14: Around 55 percent Pakistanis were ‘happy’ the Taliban would be ruling Afghanistan, the results of a survey conducted by a leading Pakistani research firm showed on Tuesday, with the highest number of such respondents based in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

The study was released by Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) and carried out by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan (GGP), which is a local affiliate of Gallup International. 

It was carried out among a sample of 2,170 men and women in urban and rural areas of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces between August 13 and September 05.

The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15 and announced their interim government — an all-male cabinet — this month.

People from across Pakistan’s four provinces were asked the following question: “Some people are happy that the Taliban will now rule Afghanistan. Some are not happy about that. What is your opinion?” 

In response, 55 percent said they were happy, 25 percent said they were unhappy, 16 percent did not know and four percent did not respond, according to the survey.

More people from rural areas (28 percent) were unhappy about the Taliban now ruling Afghanistan as compared to those from urban areas (20 percent).

In Punjab, 54 percent cheered the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, 24 percent said they were displeased by it, 17 percent didn’t know and four percent didn’t answer the question.

Around 54 percent people surveyed in Sindh rejoiced the Taliban victory, 27 percent were unhappy with it, 14 percent didn’t know and five percent didn’t respond.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the highest number, 65 percent, were delighted over Taliban rule in Afghanistan, 18 percent were unhappy over it, 15 percent didn’t know and one percent didn’t answer the question.

Fifty-five percent people surveyed in Balochistan were happy over the same, 26 percent unhappy, 17 percent said they didn’t know and two percent did not respond.

In a gender-wise breakdown, it was found that 58 percent of men were happy about the Taliban now ruling Afghanistan as compared to women at 36 percent.

Sixty-eight percent of people above 50 years were happy about Taliban rule, compared to 52 percent under 30 years of age or 55 percent of those aged from 30 years to 50 years, according to the study.

The Taliban, known for their heavy-handed rule during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, have pledged a more “inclusive” brand of rule as US troops completed their chaotic pullout. But all the key positions in their interim government have gone to veteran players of the movement.

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COURTESY arabnews

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Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan and there can be no question of any status: Foreign Ministry

BAKU, SEPT 13: Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan and there can be no question of any status.

This was reported by the press secretary of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva.

"Such statements by the US Ambassador are unacceptable. The conflict is left behind, Azerbaijan has ensured its territorial integrity and the East Zangezur and Karabakh economic regions were created by the order of the President of the country dated July 7, 2021. 

These territories are an integral part of Azerbaijan and there can be no question of any status. ", - she stressed.

The representative of the foreign ministry noted that a new reality has formed in the region with the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020.

"While it is possible to normalize relations on the basis of the principles of international law, the US representative makes a statement that serves to aggravate the situation and creates unreasonable expectations on the other side," Abdullayeva added.

According to her, such statements by the representative of the co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group cast a shadow on the future activities of the structure.

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COURTESY ednews

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Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan special forces exercises begin in Baku

BAKU, SEPT 13: The joint international exercises of special forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan "Three Brothers-2021" have begun in Baku for the first time from September 12.

According to Eurasia Diary, citing the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, the main goal of the joint exercises is to improve the interaction of special forces of friendly and partner countries during hostilities, preparation for operations in peacetime and wartime, exchange of knowledge and experience.

The international exercises "Three Brothers-2021" will last until September 20.

Today, the Opening Ceremony of the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey Joint Special Forces Exercise "Three Brothers - 2021" took place in Azerbaijan.
Together, we are more stronger!
Long live #Azerbaijan-#Pakistan-#Turkey brotherhood!
🇹🇷🤝🇦🇿🤝🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/xSJ6xc9ApL

— Mehman Novruzlu (@MehmanNovruzlu) September 12, 2021

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COURTESY ednews

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