Special Assistance to Prime Minister for Foreign Affaris, Syed Tariq Fatemi Sunday said that Pakistan has always expressed its keen desire to build deeper trade and economic linkages with South East Asian countries and ASEAN.
Syed Tariq Fatemi while addressing 21st Ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar said Pakistan is committed to promoting relations with ASEAN and South East Asian economies to eventually achieve Full Dialogue Partnership status with ASEAN.
He said, "We urge all members of ASEAN to support our case for Full Dialogue Partnership."
He said Pakistan is the oldest Sectoral Dialogue Partner with ASEAN whose Full Dialogue Partnership has been put on hold since 1993.
Tariq Fatemi said as peace loving country, one of the core principles of Pakistan's foreign policy has been to promote and work toward building a peaceful neighbourhood.
In this context, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has always emphasised the significance of co-operation over confrontation in the region and beyond.
"Our strong opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is evident, once again in the recently launched military operations against all terrorists, irrespective of their affiliation and orientation," he added.
He said Pakistan also called for the peaceful resolution, through friendly dialogue, of differences relating South China Sea, so that peace and stability in this important region is not disturbed.
He said it is also a matter of grave concern for Pakistan and is for the world community that the growing bitterness in intra-regional relations and the advent of proxy forces in the conflicts has made the situation worse.
"All of us, therefore, need to play our role for the diplomatic and peaceful solution to these conflicts. It would be helpful if all of us support the UN resolutions, adopted from time to time, for the resolution of such disputes," he added.
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