Pakistan vows to promote peace, cooperation in its own and adjacent regions

ISLAMABAD, May 17 (Online): At the United Nations, Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to promote peace and cooperation in its own and adjacent regions.

Participating in a debate of the UN General Assembly on the Zones of peace, trust and cooperation of Central Asia, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram said Pakistan actively advocated the creation of a nuclear weapons free zone in South Asia for over two decades. This, he however, was thwarted by the nuclear explosions initiated by our neighbor.

Ambassador Munir Akram said both Pakistan and Central Asia accord the highest priority to ensuring durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. He noted that Afghanistan will serve as the critical connection for regional cooperation once it is stabilized.

Munir Akram said we are committed to connectivity projects such as Turkmenistan-Afghanistan -Pakistan Gas Pipeline, the CASA electricity grid from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway.

Munir Akram pointed out that the recently held Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral ministerial meeting agreed to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan. He hoped that this will further reinforce the close connection between Central Asia and Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.