Afghanistan seeks united anti-terror approach at Heart of Asia conference

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai on Tuesday called for a united and collective approach to counter the menace of terrorism and violent extremism at the meeting of senior officials of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process.

Karzai is leading Afghanistan in the day-long meeting of the senior officials that will finalize the agenda for the ministerial conference to be held on Wednesday.

"The Heart of Asia conference is taking place at a critical juncture when the region is confronted by many challenges including terrorism," the Afghan deputy foreign minister said at the opening session.

He said the activities of terror outfits including Daesh once again remind the related parties of the gravity of the problem and demand a collective approach to tackle this international phenomenon.

"Afghanistan is determined to continue fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he said, adding a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in the best interest of the region.

The Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister said his country attaches importance to having strong relations with all the regional countries for promotion of economic relations and meeting the challenges.

Pakistan's PM Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the opening session that his country desires durable peace in Afghanistan as instability there is not in the interest of Pakistan.

"Pakistan will continue to support all endeavors aiming at strengthening peace and security in Afghanistan," Aziz said.

Sartaj Aziz stressed that Heart of Asia Conference is an effective platform for promoting regional economic cooperation and connectivity with Afghanistan at its center. He said it provides an opportunity to member countries in result-oriented engagements for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, and a secure and prosperous region as a whole.

He said since the launching of Heart of Asia conference in 2011, the forum has made good progress towards realization of its core objective of promoting durable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He said the key achievements include political consultation involving Afghanistan and its neighbors and the regional countries with a view to promoting mutual trust in the areas of security and economic interaction.

He said the confidence building measures identified in the Istanbul process document are leading to enhanced regional engagement and cooperation of the Heart of Asia countries with Afghanistan in areas of trade and economic, energy, counter terrorism, narcotics, disaster management, regional infrastructure and education.

Senior officials of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process Tuesday started meeting in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to finalize agenda for the ministerial conference to be held on Wednesday.

Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz and Afghan deputy foreign minister Khalil Hekmat Karzai jointly inaugurated the day-long Senior Officials Meeting.

Speaking at the opening session, Aziz and Karzai hoped that the ministerial conference will help in evolving strategy against the threats of terrorism and extremism. They also favoured economic cooperation and regional connectivity.

Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the Fifth Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Islamabad on Dec. 9.

The theme of the Conference is "Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process: Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region."

The agenda of the Conference is aimed at cementing regional ties through a set of Confidence Building Measures. The process is aimed at expanding coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbours and regional partners in facing common threats, including terrorism, narcotics, poverty and extremism.

Foreign Ministers of ten countries including China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and India have confirmed participation, said the Foreign Ministry.

The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey.

The main objective of the Process is to foster efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to promoting long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan and the region.

The Fifth Ministerial Conference is expected to adopt a forward looking Islamabad Declaration entitled "Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Connectivity in the Heart of Asia Region".

The Declaration would underline commitments from the Heart of Asia countries and partners for sustained efforts towards promoting peace and security,economic development and connectivity in the region. Enditem