Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, 01 December 2017, Baku, Azerbaijan
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. AMJAD HUSSIAN B. SIAL, SECRETARY GENERAL OF SAARC
Your Excellency Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
Your Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Honourable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
It is indeed an honour for me to address the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process being held in this beautiful city of Baku.
The august presence of Their Excellencies the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan amply signifies the importance of this Ministerial Conference.
I wish to express gratitude to Their Excellencies the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan for inviting me to this important Conference.
We are grateful to the Government of Azerbaijan for the warm welcome and generous hospitality.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Afghanistan is an important member of SAARC. Since it became a member of SAARC, Afghanistan has been actively involved in the SAARC process and has been a generous host to many events. Afghanistan’s contribution to the SAARC process is highly commendable.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is heartening to see that since its inception in November 2011, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, which places Afghanistan at its centre, has evolved as a robust and result-oriented initiative in promoting peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.
With three Member States of SAARC among the Participating Countries of the Istanbul Process, SAARC can play aneffective role in the realization of the seven Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), namely, i) Counter-terrorism; ii) Trade, Commerce, and Investment Opportunities; iii) Education; iv) Counter-narcotics; v) Disaster Management; vi) Regional Infrastructure; and vii) Agriculture. These are priority areas for SAARC as well.
Since peace and security is a prerequisite for ensuring the welfare of the peoplesand socio-economic developmentin the region, SAARC is committed to addressing the menace of terrorism and extremism under the framework of theSAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional Protocol, the SAARC Terrorism Offences Monitoring Desk and other mechanisms.
The menace of drugs is being addressed through the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk.
Achieving effective regional economic integration is another important objective of SAARC.Concerted efforts are underway to realize the ultimate goal of the South Asian Economic Union (SAEU) in a phased and planned manner through a Free Trade Area, a Customs Union, a Common Market, and a Common Economic and Monetary Union.
Education is a priority area of cooperation for SAARC. The South Asian University established in New Delhi offers quality education in various disciplines. A SAARC Medical University is to be established in Sri Lanka. The SAARC Chairs, Scholarships and Fellowships Scheme has been fruitful.
SAARC has legal instruments and mechanisms devoted to disaster risk reduction and management, and regional cooperation in climate change issues.
Better connectivity is the key to regional cooperation. Therefore, a number of initiatives have been contemplated for improving intra-regional connectivity through road, rail, air and sea links. Moreover, during the Eighteenth Summit, the SAARC leaders underscored the importance of linking South Asia with other regions, including Central Asia and beyond, by all modes of connectivity.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since the CBMs of the Istanbul Process and some of the priorities of SAARC are similar, these two processes are complementary to one another. Therefore, there is a vast potential of collaboration between SAARC and the Istanbul Process for the attainment of the objectives of the CBMs in the pursuit of our ultimate goal of promoting the welfare and wellbeing of our peoples.
We are confident that with the continued support of the international community, Afghanistan will embrace enduring peace and sustainable development. A secure and stable Afghanistan is vital for sustained peace, security and prosperity in the region.
I wish the Conference great success.
Thank you.
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