Pakistan: Rift over Iran’s N-plan threatens entire region

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar

has said that growing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear programme threatens further instability in the region. “In our view, dialogue and diplomacy should be the only instruments to resolve outstanding issues,” she said while speaking at the NAM Ministerial meeting during interactive debate on “ Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance” in Tehran on Tuesday. “We believe that peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible on the basis of reciprocal confidence building measures.” Hina said Pakistan believes that founding principles of NAM, including peaceful co-existence sovereignty, territorial integrity of all States and non-interference in internal affairs of other countries, provide firm basis for enduring peace and stability in the world. “In our region Afghanistan will need support of NAM fraternity as it moves towards transition phase in the year 2014,” she added. Calling for peace, security and prosperity in the Palestine region, she urged a just solution of the issue on the basis of the “Palestinian people’s right to self-determination”. Moreover, she also called for an immediate end to ongoing bloodshed by all sides in Syria in the interest of regional peace and stability. The Foreign Minister also called for collective efforts in order to address issues of energy crisis, water shortage and environmental degradation. She said the world today is inflicted by many paradoxes, marked by interdependence and inequality; connectivity and chaos; islands of prosperity and oceans of abject poverty; technological prowess and underdevelopment; hegemony and repression, all existing side by side and causing all sorts of upheavals and turmoil in the world. She said in this backdrop the theme of the Conference “lasting peace through joint global governance” is both relevant and pertinent. The Foreign Minister said as a vibrant democracy, Pakistan holds promotion and protection of human rights and democratic ideals very dear to its heart. It is deeply committed to the nurturing and strengthening of these values, she said. She said disarmament and non-proliferation is an important area for global peace and security. She stressed for economic and social development of the member countries to build and sustain peaceful, prosperous and harmonious societies. Many NAM members have achieved significant and sustained economic growth yet; the challenge of development continues to be formidable for all NAM countries, she added. She pointed out that efforts have so far failed to make even modest progress towards introducing equity in international trade, inter alia, through the Doha Round. She said the NAM can play a role in the enlargement and implementation of the trade and development agenda through measures like reduction of agricultural subsidies in rich countries; elimination of high and escalating tariffs against developing countries; commodity price stabilisation; special and differential treatment, and capacity-building. NAM countries could also help each other directly, through regional economic integration and specific schemes for South-South cooperation, she said.