Qureshi reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to CICA process

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the CICA process and concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in Asia.

He was addressing the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) through a video link.

The meeting was hosted by the current CICA Chair, Kazakhstan, in Nur-Sultan on October 11 to 12, a press release issued here by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The foreign minister lauded the role of CICA in providing an invaluable platform for promoting peace, security and development in the Asian continent through dialogue and cooperation.

Noting the negative impact of four decades of war and conflict in Afghanistan, he called upon the international community to support the Afghan people in their quest for peace, stability and development at the critical juncture in their history.

Qureshi underscored that sustainable peace in South Asia would remain elusive until and unless the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir was resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

He also called for a just and lasting settlement of Palestine through the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, with the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State.

Noting Pakistan’s conscious shift towards prioritising economic security in order to promote its socio-economic agenda, the minister emphasised the importance of forging development partnerships and enhancing regional connectivity.