Ambassador counsels Pakistan to prefer trade over contentious disputes

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Pakistan Ivan Ivanissevich has said that Pakistan could draw lessons from the way his country resolved its dispute with neighbouring Brazil and Chile.

Ivanissevich was speaking at a farewell reception organised here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in its library-seminar room. IRS honoured his services for the improvement in Argentine-Pak relations during his two tenures, as Ambassador (2015-2019), and as First Secretary (2004-7). Ivanissevich had been a regular visitor to IRS and shared his thoughts with IRS scholars on regional issues of the Southern Cone and South Asia. The ambassador stressed that wars are costly affairs and pointed out the Malvinas’ War increased Argentina’s foreign debt by six times from $8 billion to close to $50 billion. Border disputes with Brazil and Chile were resolved peacefully, proving that the longer route often proves faster, he said. He emphasised a long-term disputes like Kashmir should be soft pedalled for a while whereas active focus should shift to trade and economic relations and finally eventually with the passage of time the main issue could be addressed. Ivanissevich thanked IRS, especially its President Prof Rukhsana Qamber for hosting his farewell. He said he was taking along some really fond memories of Pakistan.