ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Heart of Asia Conference will begin in Islamabad on Tuesday, aiming at to promoting cooperation among Afghanistan and regional countries to ensure peace, security and development in Afghanistan.
The two-day ministerial level Conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the Indian External Affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also attend the event.
Others high-profile dignitaries whose participation in the Conference is confirmed or highly expected include Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev, Tajikistan Foreign Minister Aslov Sirojidin Muhridinovich and the Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Salahuddin Rabbani among others.
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.”
In his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on December 3, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah told media persons that the agenda of the Heart of Asia Conference is aimed at cementing regional ties through a set of Confidence Building Measures
The spokesperson said that the Conference is also aimed at expanding coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbours and regional partners in facing common threats including terrorism, narcotics, poverty and extremism.
The crucial regional Conference will also help mitigate the tension between Pakistan and India as the Indian External Affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj will hold meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on the sideline of the Conference.
In addition, the sidelines meeting between Sharif and Ghani will give both Pakistan and Afghanistan a real opportunity to work out their differences and negotiate a settlement.
