Pakistan fully supports KL summit: FM

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said Pakistan fully supported the Kuala Lumpur Summit, an initiative of Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad, bringing together five Muslim nations to achieve socio-economic development.

Addressing at the second Kuala Lumpur Summit Ministerial Meeting held in Qatar's capital, the Foreign Minister said the challenges of governance, development, climate change, terrorism and rising Islamophobia, warranted an integrated and comprehensive response.

Muslim countries including Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Qatar on the call of host Malaysia are participating in the ministerial meeting in Doha, prior to the main Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur from December 18 to 21.

The seven areas of focus include development and sovereignty; integrity and good governance; culture and identity; justice and freedom; peace, security and defence, trade and investment and technology and Internet governance.

The Foreign Minister said with juggernaut of globalization causing a civilizational and cultural erosion, it was imperative for the Muslim world to tread a cautious path.

"We must not only make sure that we are not left behind but are able to preserve our unique civilizational identity, cultural personality and national sovereignty," he said.

Qureshi said that Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Iran and Turkey collectively accounted for about 50 percent of the total GDP, 37 percent each of natural gas production and population and 18 percent of the total area of Muslim world.

He said for the nations, situated in close proximity to the strategic maritime points of the world - namely the Straits of Malacca, Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz, and the Bosphorus, there existed an immense potential for collective development and shared prosperity.