Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said that Pakistan was making determined efforts to stabilise the situation along its border with Afghanistan. "Pakistan has a central role in facilitating the stabilisation process in Afghanistan, and we remain deeply committed to this goal," he said while addressing the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) Special Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan in Moscow.
The Minister said that for Pakistan there was no greater priority than having a peaceful, stable and united Afghanistan. "We are convinced that security today is indivisible....and a secure Afghanistan--at peace with itself and with its neighbours--would have a discernible effect on our security and the regional environment," he said.
He said the resolve of Pakistans people nation and leadership to fight militancy and terrorism was unflinching. He said Pakistans government had worked assiduously to bring about a qualitative transformation in its relations with Afghanistan with a new level of mutual trust. He said Pakistan would continue to lend all possible assistance for reconstruction of Afghanistan, and would shortly be hosting the third Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Islamabad.
Qureshi said that Afghanistan is Pakistans close friend and immediate neighbour, and for decades Afghanistan has suffered from the ravages of war and civil strife. He said the people of Afghanistan have been the victim of instability, violence, terrorism, factional fighting, illegal arms, narcotics production and trafficking, and organised crime.
The Minister said that Pakistan had also suffered grievously, along with Afghanistan. "Due to the spillover, our people have had to face the phenomenon which did not exist in our society before the so-called Kalashnikov culture, drugs, militancy, and terrorism," he added. He said Pakistan that has been host to worlds largest refugee population, with all its attendant consequences.
"The security forces and the people of Pakistan continue to render tremendous sacrifices in addressing these formidable challenges," he said. "We believe it is imperative to turn a new page in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan deserve better," he added.
He said the Afghan people deserved peace, security, stability and progress. "They deserve strong institutions, effective governance, meaningful reconstruction, and sustainable economic development," he added. The Foreign Minister said that the imposing agenda could be implemented with wisdom, sagacity and commitment of the Afghan leadership to rebuild their country through united efforts and to ensure that Afghanistan takes its rightful place in the comity of nations.
"This is possible also with sustained and long-term engagement of the international community with Afghanistan. This is possible with a comprehensive approach that simultaneously addresses the security, political, economic, and reconstruction challenges," he said. He appreciated the international communitys support in strengthening counter-terrorism capacity and advancing the development goals in the area.
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