ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has stressed the need to bring wars and illegal occupations to an end and help promote dialogue and diplomacy rather than reckless spending accentuating conflicts.
In his statement to the 27th ECO Council of Ministers in Shusha, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, Jilani said that the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) is a landmark preferential trade arrangement aiming to lower tariffs in our region over an agreed timeframe.
In the long-term, he added that it comprises the single most comprehensive ECO initiative to broaden intra-regional trade and socioeconomic prosperity of our future generations, adding that its early implementation would foster transit and trade activity through enhanced connectivity within the ECO framework.
“We urge all member states to regard the early operationalization of ECOTA as a priority in a spirit of cooperation and accommodation so that our region may benefit from the true potential of enhanced economic interaction and trade linkages,” he added.
He said that the geo-political significance of our region is enormous. Historically, the Silk Route, comprising the modern-day ECO region, has been at the crossroads of travellers and tradesmen, and served to join the Eastern and Western civilizations since antiquity, he added.
“We stand at the crossroads of North-South and East-West hemispheres. Moreover, world’s strategically significant transport corridors pass through this region including International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) or the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” he said.
He said that the key to unlocking the geo-economic potential of the ECO region lies in connectivity. “We can achieve this objective by taking three vital steps, such as development of road and rail projects, liberalisation of visa regimes and, simplification of border procedures,” he said.
He added that such steps will not only address our regional requirements of energy and enhanced intra-regional trade but enable us to act as a bridge to create mutual inter-dependencies for sustainable growth.
He said that some of the most significant contributions of ECO have been the operationalisation of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) road corridor, along with the implementation of the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA), and the establishment of a fund for its implementation.
Under the TIR system, he added that trucks of the National Logistic Cell of Pakistan have been successfully transiting cargo through Iran.
He said that notification of more Border Crossing Points in the ECO region as TIR Stations can further facilitate trade operations in the region. “Pakistan, on its part, is working closely with partner states, bilaterally and through the multilateral channels, toward enhancement and upgradation of transit connectivity,” he added.
About global warming, he said that is an existential threat to human civilisation, adding that Pakistan witnessed catastrophic monsoon rains and flooding, that impacted more than 33 million lives, and inflicted material losses to the tune of US$80 billion.
“Keeping in view the significance of the issue, I would reiterate the need to develop a time-bound, well-funded, and strategically robust mechanism within the region to tackle emergent environmental issues, along with timely transition to green economy in the future,” he added.
“We believe that "Green and Low-Carbon Solutions" is the key to (a) sustainable future. We need to transform ourselves into modern, resource-efficient and competitive economies, ensuring minimum net emissions of greenhouse gases. We must join hands for a long term multi-dimensional, and fundamental transformation that enables us to transition towards more sustainable patterns of production and consumption in the ECO region,” he added.
About Afghanistan, he said that the country stands at an important inflection point and after decades of conflict and instability, there is no war in Afghanistan. The security situation in the country has improved; the Interim Afghan Government has also taken steps to improve governance, curb corruption and promote regional trade – significant reduction in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan stands out as a major accomplishment of the Interim Afghan Government, he added.
On the other hand, he added that commensurate progress has not been made in addressing international concerns regarding inclusivity, rights of women and girls, and countering the threat posed by terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan.
“We believe that the pathway to progress in Afghanistan leads through constructive engagement with the Interim Afghan Government. As friends and neighbours of Afghanistan, we, as members of the ECO, have a critical role to play to this end,” he added.
He urged the member states to leverage connectivity as a way to achieve economic revival and growth in Afghanistan which remains a key to sustainable peace, stability and prosperity. Connectivity projects such as CASA-1000, Trans-Afghan Railways, TAPI and others, are not merely economic undertakings, they are also strategic investments in our shared future.
“We should devise a common vision for regional connectivity. Pakistan looks forward to working closely with other ECO member states towards the shared ideals of a peaceful, prosperous and interconnected Afghanistan,” he added.
Jilani further stated that Pakistan remains committed to preserving and promoting the core objectives of ECO and to its vision as a well-knit and well-integrated organisation destined to reclaim its historical position as the global hub of connectivity and economic inter-linkages.
He also emphasised that the world needs peace, development, harmony, and respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity that this planet is blessed with. “We need to bring wars and illegal occupations to an end and help promote dialogue and diplomacy rather than reckless spending accentuating conflicts and divisions across the world and the people,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.