Pakistan hosts heart of Asia-Istanbul Process

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hosting senior officials meeting of the heart of Asia-Istanbul Process today (Monday). Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai will jointly chair the meeting. Representatives from other 12 participating countries, 16 supporting countries and 12 regional and international organisations have been invited to attend the meeting. The process was launched in 2011 to bring together regional countries to promote peace and prosperity in Afghanistan through efforts of participating and supporting countries as well as international and regional organisations. Pakistan is the co-chair for 2015 with Afghanistan (permanent co-chair). Pakistan will host the 5th ministerial conference later this year. The country will take initiatives to take the process forward from the Beijing Conference held in October 2014. It will play a key role in various activities of the process, including three senior official meetings to discuss topics pertaining to the theme of this year’s conference: Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process: Enhanced Cooperation for Countering Security Threats and Promoting Economic Connectivity. The deliberations in these senior official meetings would form the basis for the Islamabad declaration, to be endorsed by Heart of Asia countries and organisations during the Ministerial Conference. Separately, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai arrived in Islamabad on Sunday. Four officials of the ministry accompanied him.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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