Pakistan keen to be associated with SCO’s regional counter-terrorism structure: President
ISLAMABAD, Oct 6 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that Pakistan greatly appreciates Uzbek support to its bid for the full membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and is keen to be associated with SCO’s Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure. The President said this during his meeting with Uzbek Minister of Defence Lt. Gen. Berdiev Kabul Raimovich here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday.
The Uzbek delegation that called on the President included Deputy Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen Niyazov Rustam, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Oybek Arif Usmanov, Col Ibadullaev Atabek, Maj Lutfulla Umurzakov, and Mir Shahid Aslanov.
Pakistan side included among others Minister for Defence, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Secretary General to the President M. Salman Faruqui, Senator Babar Awan, Defence Secretary, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar and other senior officials.
The President during the meeting said that historic and cultural affinities strengthen the fraternal ties of the two countries and Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with the Uzbek brothers.
The President said that besides our cultural links, the shared threat of militancy and extremism converges the two countries to work hand in hand to confront the challenge of militancy.
He said that besides expanding cooperation to fight militancy, Pakistan was also keen to enhance its trade with Uzbekistan.
The President said that our prime concern remains the scourge of militancy that has wreaked great miseries upon our people.
Despite suffering huge losses and bearing the worst brunt of this menace, the President said, we would continue to be in the vanguard of international campaign against terrorism. Terrorism, he added, was not the concern of any single country but posed threat to regional as well as international peace.
The President said that a terrorist attack anywhere in the region impacted the entire region and therefore, all regional countries needed to confront it together.
He said that Pakistan firmly believes that restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan was essential for the regional stability and peace and we must assist Afghan institutions in their capacity building.
The President said that militancy and extremism can only be permanently defeated by adopting a holistic approach where socio-economic development of the people of the area is duly focused.
He said that the regional countries need to take maximum advantage of all available platforms that unite them for promotion of inter and intra state economic activities.
The President said that he has been continuously advocating enhancement of regional connectivity as it was the only way forward for any meaningful socio-economic development of the region.
The President said that greater connectivity would enable us fully exploit our trade potentials. He said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan may enter into currency swap arrangement to boost existing trade volume.
The President also noted with satisfaction progress made between the two countries in promoting security cooperation.
Lt. Gen. Berdiev Kabul Raimovich thanked the President for meeting and said that Uzbekistan was keen to further promote its bilateral relations and mutual cooperation with Pakistan.
He also expressed sympathies and grief with the flood affected people of Pakistan on behalf of his Government and Uzbek people.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency )