President Asif Ali Zardari while stressing for regional cooperation has voiced three “clear and present dangers” of the region.
Speaking at the Economic Cooperation Organization’s (ECO) summit in Baku Tuesday president naming terrorism, poverty and illiteracy, fundamental peoples’ rights as three major dangers that threaten the region said, “No other region shares as much as we do, but also no other region is under as much threat as we are.
He said that regional cooperation is very important, as countries must face their challenges with courage and collective action.
Speaking of terrorism and human rights, Zardari mentioned Malaya Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl that has been shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for speaking out about suffering under the regime. The girl’s life was saved by neurosurgeons in a Pakistani military hospital and she has since been in intensive care.
“This child is a symbol of all that is good in us. She represents the courage of girls and women. Her attackers did not just try to kill the daughter of Pakistan, they are trying to kill Pakistan itself,” Zardari said in his speech.
The president noted that mindset that allows a human being to shoot a child, will not stop in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Attack on Malaya is attack on every child in the region, it is attack on the future of our region,” Zardari said. “We must not remain idle when children are attacked, we must act urgently. We must arrest, prosecute the perpetrators of this crime, and we will. However, we must also eliminate the heroin trade as it destroys peoples lives and finances terrorism,” Zardari said.
Emphasizing regional linkages‚ the President said that need to strengthen regional connectivity ‚adding that energy must flow from energy rich to energy deficient countries in the region and that oil and gas pipelines and power grids must be built.
He said “The ECO Train‚ which he like to call the Gul Train‚ must be implemented” and expressed hope that it will enhance trade not only between Turkey ‚Iran and Pakistani businesses but in all countries of the region.
President Zardari also emphasized the need for ECO member countries for working together in the three important areas of trade‚ transport and energy.
He called for expeditious implementation of past agreements for trade liberalization besides cutting down tariff and non-tariff barriers.
The President said in order to enhance investment in the ECO Member States‚ we must resolve to operationalize the ECO Trade Agreement from first January next year and should also facilitate our private sectors
President said the vision of regional trade articulated at the Third ECO Summit in Islamabad was given by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. He said that most of all‚ she was a fighter for the women and children rights.
Referring to her speech in Eco Summit made by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto he said our strong cultural and trading ties‚ our religious bonds‚ our mutual goals and objectives have woven us together into a rich communal cloth.
The President said that it was obvious that ECO still has a long way to go to achieve its goals‚ adding that while other regional blocs have progressed but ECO has not progressed.
He said we could make blocks like the European Union and ASEAN continue to deepen their regional linkages but the ECO continue to speak only of potential‚ rather than results.
Zardari noted that he was honored to be among the participants of the summit, noting the importance of the meeting and expressing his gratitude to Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and the hosting country.
Leaders from ten member countries including Pakistan‚ Afghanistan‚ Iran‚ Turkey‚ Azerbaijan‚ Tajikistan‚ Turkmenistan‚ Kyrgyzstan‚ Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are attending the Summit.
President Zardari will also meet with leaders of other countries on the sidelines of the Summit and discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.
The Summit provides a platform to discuss ways to promote trade and investment opportunities among the member countries. The common objective of the member countries is to establish a single market for goods and services on the patron of European Union.
