Heart of Asia conference calls for cooperation to eliminate terrorism

BAKU, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 7th ministerial conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process adopted the Baku Declaration here on Friday, calling for regional and international cooperation to eliminate terrorism.

In the document, participants said that they "strongly call for concerted regional and international cooperation to ensure elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."

That includes dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens, and preventing and interdicting the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups, across countries of the Heart of Asia region, as well as disrupting all financial, tactical, logistical or any other support for terrorism, the document said.

The parties called on all states "to take action against these terrorist entities in accordance with their respective national counter-terrorism policies, their international obligations and the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy."

Meanwhile, "We call on the International Community to further strengthen international and regional cooperation towards sustained efforts for a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, based increasingly on infrastructure connectivity within the Heart of Asia region and enhanced economic ties," the Declaration said.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was founded in November 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey, to provide a platform for regional cooperation by placing Afghanistan at its center, in recognition of the fact that a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the prosperity of the Heart of Asia region.

The Heart of Asia has 14 participating countries, including Turkey, UAE, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, India, 17 supporting countries and 12 supporting regional and international organizations. Enditem