ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation gaining momentum: envoy

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Islamabad Committee (AIC) Chairman Ishak Latuconsina said the efforts to raise the level of cooperation between ASEAN and Pakistan had gained a new impetus to identify the tremendous potential and opportunities of joint collaboration.

He said this while addressing a ceremony held to mark the 45th anniversary of ASEAN.

To mark this special occasion, a flag-raising ceremony was held at the Indonesian Embassy, which was attended by heads of ASEAN Missions and other community members in Islamabad to represent their respective states.

The flag-raising ceremony started off soon after the arrival of the chief guest, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary Sajjad Kamran. A smartly turned out group of students carried the flag and raised it while ASEAN anthem was played with the guests rising from their seats in a show of respect.

The AIC chairman said that ASEAN highly valued Pakistan’s cooperation and interest in promoting friendly relations with ASEAN countries with its “Vision East Asia” policy and the member states were working for the status of Pakistan as the Full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. Likewise, the ASEAN countries fully realised the tremendous potential of Pakistan and equally desired to enhance and strengthen the cordial ties with the countries, he said. He said that the ceremony was an event of significant importance since ASEAN was the cornerstone of the foreign policy of all the member states.

This year the theme of ASEAN is “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny” with the firm resolve to intensify the efforts to create the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, to transform the region into a single market and production base, as well as a highly competitive region with equitable and integrated economic development.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest said that relations with ASEAN and the ASEAN member countries occupied a special place in Pakistan’s foreign policy as they were important for Pakistan’s ‘Vision East Asia’ policy launched in 2003

He congratulated heads of ASEAN Missions on the 45th Anniversary of ASEAN and felicitated Ambassador Ishak Latuconsina on assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN Islamabad Committee.

He said that in last forty-five years, ASEAN had emerged as a mature and solid organisation with a distinct identity of its own. He said that it had achieved much during this period which can be emulated by the other relatively younger regional organisations.

He said that ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation covered diverse areas, such as trade, industry, investment, science and technology, counter-narcotics, environment, tourism and human resource development. He said that it was gratifying to note that Pakistan’s relations with ASEAN had grown steadily and its bilateral trade with the bloc had crossed the $6 billion mark.

“Pakistan aspires to become a Full Dialogue Partner with ASEAN. The active support of our ASEAN friends will help Pakistan realise this objective sooner than later,” he said. pr

Sourced: dailytimes