NAM Summit in Baku: Lasting peace linked to resolution of outstanding disputes, says Alvi

BAKU: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said that the lasting peace in the region could only be achieved through the resolution of outstanding disputes which also hindered the growth and realization of countries' true economic potential.

Addressing the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement here, the president said sustainable development was linked to peace and security and Pakistan had been an advocate and practitioner of this integrated approach. He told the international gathering that consistent with its vision for Naya Pakistan, the government had fully integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its national development plans. He said the government had launched Ehsass Programme designed to provide social security nets, alleviate poverty, enhance investments in universal health and education without which no country could prosper.

The president said the endeavors to achieve the SDGs would fail unless the structural causes of poverty were also addressed among and within the countries. He said it was imperative that international trade was free and fair for all the nations, investment should be made profitable for all partners and weak and disadvantaged nations and communities must be supported to eradicate poverty.

While reiterating Pakistan’s policy of peaceful neighborhood, the president said that the government’s vision of peaceful development would continue to guide its efforts to help create an environment that fostered cooperation and development. He said Pakistan had demonstrated this commitment by facilitating political settlement in Afghanistan by supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

He said Pakistan remained concerned about the evolving developments in the Middle East and Gulf region and was endeavoring to facilitate a process to help ease tension and resolve differences through political and diplomatic means.

President Alvi said that Pakistan firmly believed in enhancing the accountability, transparency and representativeness of the United Nations and United Nations Security Council (UNSC). A reformed UNSC must afford NAM member states an equal opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of peace and security.

He told the gathering that pandering to the ambition of a few states specially those that willfully violated the UNSC resolutions, would be counter-productive and undermined the spirit of the UN Charter, international laws and the reform process.

He said the NAM members should reaffirm commitment to cooperative multilateralism to pursue the shared goals of more democratic and equitable and just world order, not based on center of privilege and power, but one that fostered the ideals of prosperity and well being of all.

NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.

Earlier President Dr. Arif Alvi arrived in Azerbaijan on Friday to attend the 18th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit being held in Baku. He was welcomed at the Baku International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Ahmedov.

Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and President Alvi on this occasion also exchanged views on bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries. Ali Ahmedov thanked President Alvi for visiting Azerbaijan to attend the Summit, a press release issued by the President’s Media Office here said.

The President will be meeting several heads of state during his visit, including President of Azerbaijan, President of Afghanistan, President of Iran and Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In the meantime President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday held meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The two leaders exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest including peace and security in the region, and cooperation in development and connectivity projects.

The president said that Pakistan wished to see a stable and prosperous Afghanistan as both the countries enjoyed historic fraternal ties. The president expressed the hope that bilateral relations would further gain momentum in the upcoming years. He referred to the economic assistance provided by the government of Pakistan in various sectors and reiterated that Pakistan would continue its efforts in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

President Alvi said that Pakistan had been hosting more than four million Afghan refugees over the last four decades and the country had always emphasized for their return in a dignified and honorable manner.