PM announces joining Ashgabad accord, Lapiz Lazuli Corridor

Ashraf Ghani calls on Nawaz

ASHGABAT: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced on Saturday Pakistan’s decision to join the Ashgabat Agreement and the Lapis Lazuli Corridor. 

He made this announcement while addressing a two-day global sustainable transport conference at the magnificent headquarters of the Chambers of Conference that had been donated to the UN for its activities in the region.

The construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a brilliant example of the testimony. The Ashgabat agreement is a transport agreement among Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and seeks to create an international transport and
transit corridor.
The objective of the agreement is to facilitate the transport of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. The Lapis Lazuli Corridor seeks to foster transit and trade cooperation among Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey by reducing barriers facing transit trade. It intends to develop custom procedure integration in the region. 

The prime minister said that regional connectivity and economic integration were key pillars of Pakistan’s policy. Development of transport sector was Pakistan’s top priority as Pakistan could become the centre of regional ties. “I am positive that the Ashgabat Agreement will be beneficial not only to Pakistan but also to the entire Central Asian and South Asian region and beyond,” stated the prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif said that a peaceful neighbourhood had remained the norm of Pakistan’s foreign policy and no development policies could yield fruit without peace and security.

The conference is discussing the role of integrated and sustainable transport including rail, aviation, ferry and maritime in supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals. Pakistan is keen on improving connectivity with the Central Asian States by establishing transport and communication links. These links will be conducive to tap the potential of trade, economic interaction, people-to-people contacts and tourism.

Earlier, an unscheduled meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was held on here on Saturday on the brinks of global sustainable transport conference jointly hosted by the UN Secretary General and President of Turkmenistan. The meeting could help in melting the ice in the Islamabad-Kabul ties. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also had a chat with the outgoing UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon on the occasion. 

In this regard, he stressed the need for enhancing the bilateral political interaction, security coordination, trade and transit, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. 

Emphasising that politically negotiated settlement through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process was the most viable option for lasting peace, Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan would continue its efforts to facilitate the process.  He stressed that eliminating this menace required effective coordination between security, intelligence and counter-terrorism institutions of the two countries.  

President Ghani thanked Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than three decades.