‘The Heart of Asia Meet’ begins in Islamabad

Islamabad: The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process meeting commenced on Tuesday to finalize an agenda for a ministerial conference to be held on Wednesday.

The Pakistan prime minister's foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalil Hekmat Karzai jointly inaugurated the day-long meeting of senior officials.

Karzai emphasized on a united and collective approach to counter the menace of terrorism and violent extremism at the meeting, and further said at the opening session, "The Heart of Asia conference is taking place at a critical juncture when the region is confronted by many challenges including terrorism."

He said the activities of terror outfits including the ISIS has reminded the related parties of the gravity of the problem and demanded a collective approach to tackling this international phenomenon.

"Afghanistan is determined to continue to fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he remarked, adding that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the best interest of the region.

Aziz said that Pakistan desired durable peace in Afghanistan as instability there was not in the interest of the country and "Pakistan will continue to support all endeavors aiming at strengthening peace and security in Afghanistan."

He said that since the launching of Heart of Asia conference in 2011, the forum has made good progress towards the realisation of its core objective of promoting durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. The key achievements include political consultation involving Afghanistan and its neighbours and the regional countries with a view to promoting mutual trust in the areas of security and economic interaction.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the Fifth Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Islamabad on Wednesday.The theme is "Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process: Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region".

Foreign Ministers of ten countries including India, China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran have confirmed participation.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday to attend the meeting. She will also meet Sharif and Aziz on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia meeting.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey, mainly focusing on promoting efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to fostering long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan and the region.

The Fifth Ministerial Conference is expected to adopt a forward-looking Islamabad Declaration entitled "Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region".

(IANS)

(Picture Credit: crazy4images.com)