Regional stability of primary importance to Pakistan: Khar

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Saturday that stability in the region was of primary importance to Pakistan as its role was proactive in building relations with neighboring countries. “Promoting relations and enhancing economic as well as political ties with countries like Turkey, Afghanistan and India are the corner-stone of country’s foreign policy,” she said while addressing a press conference here at the State Guest House. Terming Pakistan’s membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) a supreme achievement, the Foreign Minister said that it had dispelled the impression that Pakistan was isolated
among the comity of nations. The victory in the Security Council election by three-fourth majority was a tangible proof that Pakistan was a matured and responsible state in the world. Hina Khar said that the nation should be proud of the fact that the country had achieved two major successes on the foreign front - UNSC membership and enhanced efforts for achieving regional cooperation.
Lauding the role of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and the Foreign Ministry, she said that the Pakistani leadership wanted to engage leaders of other countries in creating economic opportunities for the people of region and ensuring regional peace and security.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan’s proactive role in the 6th summit dialogue in Turkey as well as the trilateral dialogue in Afghanistan was another proof of Pakistan’s desire to promote regional peace, adding that Istanbul conference provided a good opportunity to build relationships.
She said that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani would attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
The meeting would provide a good opportunity for interaction with the Central Asian states and Russia. The Prime Minister would hold meetings with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.
She said that Pakistan sought good neighbourly relations with all the countries in the region and would also reach out to other countries to promote peace and harmony in South Asia.
About the CBMs (confidence building measures) vis-a-vis India, she said that New Delhi had assured Islamabad that it would not block Pakistan’s way in Preferential Market Access by the European Union unlike it had done in the past.
Replying to newmen’s queries, the Foreign Minister clarified that the MFN (most favoured nation) status to India had been granted with the approval of the Federal Cabinet with the assurance that India would waive non-tarrif barriers as part of the dialogue process. She said that the Commerce Minister would define modalities of the MFN status.
Regarding taking the army on board, she said the army was a stakeholder in the dialogue process with India. All institutions are supportive of the idea of improving relations with India, she added.
With reference to Kashmir, Hina Khar said that Pakistan desired result-oriented dialogue with India. The country had achieved much more than expected during the dialogue process.
About Afghan relations, she said Pakistan would go out of the way to assist Afghanistan in finding the killers of former Afghanistan President Prof. Burhan ud Din Rabbani, whose untimely assassination, she regretted, had affected Pakistan a great deal.
She said drone attacks were counter-productive and inhibited Pakistan’s efforts in the war against terror. Pakistan has been in the vanguard of the war against terror as well as it had made greatest sacrifices for the cause, she added.(APP)