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| C’wealth for settling Indo-Pak disputes |
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
LONDON: The Commonwealth expects both Pakistan and India to settle their bilateral issues and the organisation can only extend its assistance on issues relating to good governance and social and economic development.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said the 53-member organisation does not interfere in the bilateral relations between the two states and expect all the member countries to sort out their mutual issues among themselves without third party mediation.
He was responding to question whether the Commonwealth can play any role in helping to resume the stalled dialogue process between Pakistan and India.Sharma pointed that the Commonwealth did once play a role of a mediator in Africa during the process of decolonisation but its emphasis is now in ensuring the rule of law, good governance and the promotion of democracy and constitutionalism. At the briefing, he explained the agenda and key issues that will be addressed by heads of government when they meet in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from Nov 27 to Nov 29, 2009. The theme of the biennial summit is Partnering for a More Equitable and Sustainable Future. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is the a supreme body of the Commonwealth. The summit, which is convened every two years, brings Commonwealth leaders together to review global, political and economic developments and to discuss the Commonwealth’s work in supporting the interests of its member countries, and to confirm existing or new priorities and initiatives.
Responding to a question, he said the CHOGM will also decide on the membership application submitted by Rwanda while those Arab states wishing to be given an observer status within the Commonwealth, will need to fulfil criteria laid down by the secretariat for such a position.
According to Sharma, the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will discuss economic development, including international trade, debt management, climate changes, youth empowerment and ways and means of helping vulnerable and poor states in overcoming the financial crisis brought about by the global recession.
He said for 60 years of its founding, the organisation has grown from eight founding members to 53 presently, representing a population of two billion and accounting for around a fifth of the world’s trade, a quarter of its countries and a third of its population and given its size it faces diverse issues and problems.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
