|
|
Mr. President,
Let me begin by thanking Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his report, and Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, for his briefing.
Mr. President,
The situation in Afghanistan remains a source of concern for the international community. Persisting conflict, instability and turmoil, and a fragile economy continue to exacerbate the suffering of the Afghan people.
This is also the message of the Secretary General's report. We share his regret at the continued fighting and its heavy toll on the civilian population. We are also concerned about the aggravating humanitarian situation.
But there are also grounds for hope. After decades of war, there is reason now to be cautiously optimistic about the prospects for peace.
Several rounds of direct talks between the US and the Taliban, have opened up a real opportunity for progress towards peace in a country that has been ravaged by conflict and violence for more than a generation.
The international community had long reached a consensus that a negotiated peace, was the best, and indeed only hope for securing durable peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
This has also been Pakistan's consistent position and recommendation. For almost two decades my country argued that there was no military solution to the conflict and that the only sustainable path to peace in Afghanistan was through dialogue. We are therefore gratified that this is the path that is now being seriously pursued.
Apart from Afghanistan, there is no country other than Pakistan that has suffered more from the four decades of war and foreign interventions in Afghanistan. There is no other country, which will gain more from peace in Afghanistan.
In his very first address to the nation after his election last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's support to peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
And we have played an active role in pursuit of this goal.
My government responded positively to US President Donald Trump's request to Prime Minister Imran Khan last year for help in the Afghan peace process.
We have not only called for a reduction of violence by all sides as well as a ceasefire, but have taken whatever steps we could to contribute to that objective:
Pakistan, Mr. President, will continue to play whatever role it can to help promote a political settlement that can end the suffering of the Afghan people.
The path to peace will not be easy. Hurdles remain. Many challenges lie ahead before a comprehensive agreement can be reached and accepted by all the parties.
Together with other international partners, we feel that there is now an urgent need to take the next important step - initiation of an intra-Afghan dialogue. We urge all sides, including the Taliban, to commit to this.
We also hope that the seventh round of US-Taliban talks expected early next month is able to kick-start a genuine and inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue process. This could lead to potentially a decisive phase in the peace effort.
Mr. President,
Cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a vital component of the endeavor to realize peace and security within Afghanistan and the entire region.
Strengthening bilateral relations is a priority for my Government. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Kabul three times last year in a strong signal of our desire to work closely and meaningfully with the National Unity Government.
At the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Ashraf Ghani will be visiting Islamabad later this month. We are confident that the visit will provide an impetus to further strengthening our relations.
The combined potential of Pakistan and Afghanistan is considerable. Expanded trade, energy cooperation and implementation of the various trans-regional economic projects already identified, can greatly enhance peace and prosperity in the entire region.
We stand committed to working with Afghanistan to promote our shared political and economic objectives.
Mr. President,
Muhammad Iqbal, the poet who first conceived of Pakistan as an independent state, declared - over a century ago - that if there is instability in Afghanistan, all of Asia will be unstable; while peace in Afghanistan will bring peace and prosperity to the entire region.
Today we look hopefully to a future where the restoration of peace in our neighboring country will lead to the realization of stability and security that has long eluded our region.