Pakistan lauds Clinton's New Silk Road initiative for regional prosperity

NEW YORK: A US-backed drive to revive the ancient "silk road" through Central Asia to boost economic connectivity with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India was launched here on Thursday.

In a ministerial conference held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, about 25 countries met to discuss how southern and central Asian countries could become more interlinked through trade, transit and energy ties.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar participated in the inaugural ministerial meeting. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle co-chaired the meeting.

"As coalition combat forces leave Afghanistan the support structure that has grown up will shrink and it will mean fewer jobs for Afghans and a loss for the Afghan economy," said Clinton.

"If we don't pledge ourselves to a new economic vision for the region, I don't think a more prosperous future is likely." With the new road system, Afghanistan would be connected to the heart of lucrative trade routes between Central and South Asia and the rest of the world involving modern highways, rail links and energy pipelines.

Speaking at the meeting, the Pakistani foreign minister said regional stability and development remained Pakistan's foremost priority. She said Pakistan was willing to play a constructive role in seeking enhanced regional trade and economic cooperation. Pakistan, she added, believes that these regional trade linkages would offer the best opportunity to usher in an era of peace and prosperity for the peoples of the region.

She further said that building a network of resources and trade corridors would signify international commitments to Afghanistan long -term development.

Appreciating Secretary Clinton's New Silk Road vision she hoped that after materialization of the concept, the Central and South Asia would be linked with Afghanistan through a network of economic and transit connections.

She also stated that Pakistan has already embarked on regional energy project in the form of Turkmenistan- Afghanistan- Pakistan- India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the CASA-1000 mega watt electricity grid project which will enhance regional inter-dependence and cooperation.

She said that implementation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan trade agreement (APTTA) will also go a long way in enhancing bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011