Interactive Session held at ISSI on “Global and Regional Environment and Pakistan’s Position in the Region”

Islamabad, May 18, 2023 (Online): The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad hosted the participants of Human Resource Development Programme (HRDP) for Professionals at the International Islamic University (IIU). The interactive session was addressed by Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General, ISSI. Ms Amina Khan, Director CAMEA, in her introductory remarks welcomed the guests and briefed the group about the working of ISSI.

Extending a warm welcome to the participants, DG Amb. Sohail Mahmood highlighted the key features of the evolving global and regional environment and the dynamics shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy. Among other things, he outlined key determinants of states’ foreign policy — including geography, identity, history, resource endowment, leadership, economic imperatives, overarching strategic concepts, and role of national institutions. He also underscored the vital linkage between states’ internal strength and their external influence.

Amb. Sohail Mahmood underlined that the current international environment was extremely complex and fluid and the changes were taking place at an incredibly fast pace. States were facing a formidable challenge to adjust, while keeping the national interest as the fundamental guiding principle.

Among the traditional and non-traditional security threats at the global level, the DG ISSI highlighted great-power competition, Ukraine conflict, Covid-19 pandemic, and climate change. In the regional context, the developments relating to Pakistan’s engagement with Afghanistan, the state of Pakistan-India relations and Jammu & Kashmir dispute, long-standing cooperative ties with Iran, and strategic partnership with China were discussed. Furthermore, importance of Iran-KSA rapprochement, CPEC, regional connectivity, and Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics was underlined.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Abdul Fareed Brohi from the Da’wah Academy, IIU.