The Pakistan-China Institute, in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, will hold a two-day international conference, The Islamabad Trilateral Dialogue: China-Afghanistan-Pakistan, on October 19 and 20 at SerenaHotel in the capital.
Eminent scholars, diplomats and professionals from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan would discuss different strategic issues to draw a roadmap for the future and seek regional cooperation on Afghanistan. This is the first ever think tank dialogue amongst the three neighbours initiated by the Pakistan-China Institute, in collaboration with Konrad Adeneaur Stiftung (KAS).
According to statement issued Saturday, Pakistan-China Institute Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who also heads the Senate Defence Committee, said the purpose of this initiative is to have a dialogue amongst the three neighbours, who share a common vision for peace and security, regional economic cooperation and combating terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking”. He underlined that context of this cooperation is more imperative given the impending military withdrawal of US/NATO forces from Afghanistan.
KAS Pakistan Resident Representative Ronny Heine commented, “The Sino-Afghanistan and Pakistan, trilateral dialogue would review the current outlook for Afghanistan in the changing regional context.”
“In the light of regional countries perceptions, this important and timely dialogue process would draw a roadmap for regional cooperation on Afghanistan,” he further said.
Guest of honour, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, would address the concluding session of the conference on Monday.
On the inaugural day, Sunday, the conference would be addressed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed while Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong and Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai would deliver the key note address.
The first day of conference would review the perspectives from the new government in Kabul by Dr Farouq Azam, former Minister and Chairman, Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan; Changing security environment and its impact on Afghanistan-Pakistan relations by Prof Hasan Askari Rizvi, eminent scholar and political analyst, and NATO perspective by Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Director School of Politics and International Relations at Quaid-e-Azam University. Eminent Chinese scholar Prof. Li Xiguang, DirectorPakistanStudyCenter, Tsinghua University, China would chair this session.
The session on Changing Regional Context would be presided by Ambassador Khalid Mehmood, Chairman, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. Cooperation in Counter Terrorism would be elaborated by Amir Rana, Director Pak Institute for Peace Studies; Ms Li Qingyan, Asstt. Research Fellow at Department of International Strategic Studies, China Institute of International Studies would speak on Economic Integration: Pak-China Economic Corridor, Silk Road Economic Zone & Central Asia Economic Belt. While Brig. Dr Muhammad Khan of National Defence University (NDU), would explore the Role of Russia, India and Central Asia.
On second day, Monday, the trilateral conference would review Chinese, Afghanistan and Pakistani perspective by Senator Akram Zaki, eminent Afghan public figure Ghairat Baheer and Major General Noel Khokar, Director ISSRA at NDU. This session would be chaired by Ross Masood Hussain, Chairman, Strategic Vision Institute.
The session on Trilateral Cooperation would be presided by Dr. Davood Muradian, Director General, Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, Kabul. Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmed of National University of Science & Technology (NUML) would read paper on Securing the Borders; Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, Center for Research & Security Studies would speak on Peace Process in Afghanistan: National Reconciliation and Dialogue with Taliban; Prof. Li Xiguang would talk on Securing Regional Linkages: Silk Road Economic Zone, Pak-China Economic Corridor & Central Asia Economic Belt.
The concluding session would have a special address delivered by Rustam Shah Mohmand, eminent expert and former Ambassador to Afghanistan. Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director Pakistan-China Institute would present the Policy Recommendations.