Federal Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza visits Madrid for participation in 14th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers meeting

Islamabad, December 19, 2019 (PPI-OT): Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza, underscored Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’s position on various regional and global issues, during her visit to Madrid for participation in the 14th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers meeting (14th ASEM FMM). The 14th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Foreign Ministers was held in Madrid under the theme of “Asia and Europe -Together for Effective Multilateralism”. The federal minister for Inter Provincial Co-ordination Dr Fehmida Mirza led Pakistani delegation in the meeting. The meeting was attended by 51 ASEM Member States, The European Union (EU) and the ASEAN Secretariat. Foreign ministers meeting was preceded by Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on 13-14 December 2019 in Madrid.

The ASEM provides an opportune platform to discuss common political and security issues of regional and global significance with a view to promote Inter-regional harmony and connectivity. Asia -Europe Meeting (ASEM), established in 1996, is a bi-regional, informal dialogue between Asia and Europe which addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening relationship between the two regions, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. At the Plenary Session and the Retreat Session of the meeting, Dr Fehmida Mirza, in her remarks, underscored Pakistan’s foreign policy’s position on various regional and global issues.

She highlighted that today Pakistan, is a country of over 200 million resilient people and offers opportunities of investment and a large market endowed with a rich array of resources. She emphasized that our doors are open for trade, investment, employment, transfer of technology and human resource development. Pakistan has stepped into a new era which heralds a corruption free governance, socio-economic development, peaceful neighbourhood promotion and upholding the rule of law. She further highlighted that the key pillar of PM Imran Khan’s vision was to encourage regional integration and connectivity.

Pakistan provides vital connectivity between Middle East, China, Central Asia and South Asia. The most promising manifestation of this vision is China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a concept which embraces a package of multiple infrastructure and development projects that would act as a catalyst for economic development of Pakistan, as well as create a conducive environment for foreign direct investment.

In her interventions, Dr Fehmida Mirza strongly highlighted the systematic violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, by the Indian forces where 8 million people are virtually locked up, for last more than 4 months and stressed on the negative impact this continued repression could have on regional peace and connectivity. She also reiterated Pakistan’s support for an Afghan led and Afghan owned peace process, and underlined the significance of Kartarpur corridor for regional peace and interfaith harmony, as well as enhanced focus on attracting Buddhist religious tourism to our Gandhara heritage.

She also assured the ASEM members of Pakistan’s support in dealing with protectionism, unilateralism, xenophobia and rising Islamophobia. During the meeting she also interacted with several European and Asian Ministers participating in the ASEM including Joseph Borrel, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Spanish Foreign Minister Margarita Robles, Foreign Ministers of China, Singapore, Cambodia etc.

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