GOA, May 05 (Online): Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said Pakistan is committed to multilateralism for forging friendly relations among nations and supporting the peaceful settlement of longstanding international disputes.
Speaking at the SCO meeting in Goa on Friday, he said unilateral and illegal measures by states in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives. He said it is imperative that willful provocations and incitement to hate, especially on religious grounds, are roundly condemned. It is our collective duty to fight against fascism and historical revisionism that is leading to violent ultra nationalism anywhere in the world. He said we must ensure that racism and xenophobic ideologies, have no place in today’s world and fundamental human rights and freedoms are guaranteed to all.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister also made it clear that his country condemns all forms of terrorism including state sponsored terrorism. He said conflating non-state actors with state actors must be stopped. He said we must address the root causes as well as the threats posed by specific groups. He said Pakistan is firmly committed to be part of regional and global efforts for eradicating this menace.
Commenting on the poverty situation in the SCO region, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for collective efforts to mitigate financial sufferings of the people of the member states. He said we can only overcome this challenge through common efforts and by learning from each other’s experiences. He said the establishment of the Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation proposed by Pakistan will be a step in that direction.
Regarding the adverse impact of the climate change, the Pakistan Foreign Minister said the developed world must fulfill its commitment of providing 100 billion dollars annually for climate finance.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan strongly believes in and fully adheres to the principles of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of shared development enshrined in the original “Shanghai Spirit.”
He said these principles are in perfect alignment with Pakistan’s own vision of enhanced regional economic connectivity and win-win cooperation.
We believe the SCO could be a key platform for taking this vision of Eurasian connectivity to the next level. Pakistan’s location at the crossroads of South Asia and the Middle East makes it an ideal trade conduit for the whole region.
The Foreign Minister said investing in our collective connectivity capacities is crucial to advancing our shared vision for an economically integrated region. In that spirit, Pakistan looks forward to hosting the “Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity” in September this year.
Highlighting situation in Afghanistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called upon the international community to meaningfully engage with the Interim Afghan Government to better understand and influence the course of events. He said the international community must continue to urge the Afghan authorities to adopt universally-accepted principles of political inclusivity, and respecting the rights of all Afghans, including girls’ right to education. The international community should also help build their counter-terrorism capacity for the security of Afghanistan, the region and the world at large.
The Foreign Minister also called on the Interim Afghan Authorities to uphold their commitments on not allowing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. He urged the global community to work towards addressing these security concerns to unlock the true potential of not only Afghanistan but the region as a whole. He said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a key not only to regional integration and economic cooperation but also to global peace and stability.
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