From words to deeds
It is said that if necessity is the mother of invention, it’s the father of cooperation. Nowhere is this truer than in today’s globalised world where nations are inextricably interlinked. In such a scenario, there is no way for nations to prosper unless they collaborate regionally and globally. Which is why the third quadrilateral summit between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Russia must be welcomed.
Many encouraging statements about energy cooperation came from all parties and the Russian president lamented the stasis in this regard and proclaimed to move from “words to deeds”. Scarcity is the operative word in the energy sector in the region and we in Pakistan are well aware of what an energy shortage looks like. Projects in this regard couldn’t get underway soon enough, given the economic vortex this problem is pushing us deeper into by the minute. The CASA-1000 is one such project. It envisages energy cooperation on an unprecedented scale in the region but it has hit snags. This must be rectified and an agreement eked out on priority basis.
The Kremlin not only showed interest in our energy sector but also in the TAPI gas pipeline, a deal which has been signed and sealed for long, but not yet delivered. This pipeline is a win-win for all involved but it has hit snags courtesy the myriad difficulties that the Afghan security situation presents. It has not just impacted this project but has stalled many others and all countries attendant were attuned to the fact that socio-economic pooling can only follow once there is a semblance of normalcy in the Afghan mainland. Therefore, the joint statement urged the empowerment and enabling of Afghanistan’s security apparatus to function independently once the Allied troops begin to drawdown.
Pak-US ties have hit a nadir and that has warranted an overhaul in our foreign policy which traditionally has the US as its nucleus. Given the fact that we can no longer rely on our flaky friend for all-time economic aid, it’s essential that we look to other international avenues for cooperation. Summits such as these can only help our near-pariah international status. The next summit is slated to take place next year in Islamabad. Let’s hope some progress has been achieved by then.
