Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday Pakistan will continue its efforts to stamp out the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He was talking to Spanish defence minister Jose Bono, who called on him here at the Prime Minister house.
Defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal and minister of state for defence Zahid Hamid also attended the meeting. The Prime Minister underscored the need to step up co-operation at the local, regional and global levels to combat the menace of terrorism effectively.
However, he said, it is unfortunate to link terrorism with any particular faith or religion. "There is a need to identify and address root causes of terrorism in order to rid the world of this menace," he added.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan is an anchor for peace and stability in the region. "Our commitment to peace can be gauged from the fact Pakistan is the largest contributor to the UN peace-keeping forces in the world," he said. He said with our limited resources we are determined to maintain the capability of our armed forces to defend ourselves and to maintain peace in the region.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan offers attractive investment opportunities and invited Spanish businessmen to invest in Pakistan especially in the fields of hotel industry, construction, real estate, telecom and avail excellent opportunities of investment available in the country.
He called for greater collaboration between private sectors of the two countries.
The Prime Minister thanked the Spanish minister for the country's help and assistance to Pakistan during the earthquake and said the Spanish teams did a very fine job in relief and rescue. The Spanish minister appreciated Pakistan's roles in global war against terrorism and expressed the desire for closer defence co-operation with Pakistan. He lauded Pakistan's role in promoting peace in the region.
He also congratulated the Prime Minister for the impressive economic gains made by the country during the last six years. The Spanish minister said Pakistani community in Spain is peaceful and law abiding and contributing in the country's socio-economic development in a significant manner.