ISLAMABAD
Pakistan has asked the member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to consider making investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) set up under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The call was made by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood while delivering a keynote address at the Experts Dialogue on Pakistan-ASEAN: Shared Future and the Way Forward,” co-organised by the Embassy of Indonesia and the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) on Friday.
Noting the steady trajectory of Pakistan-ASEAN relations, the foreign secretary underlined the high priority accorded by Pakistan to its relations with the Southeast Asian nations and its recognition of ASEAN’s vast economic potential and its centrality in the regional architecture.
Consistent with “Vision East Asia” policy, the foreign secretary underscored Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen Pakistan-ASEAN partnership in all dimensions. He specifically stressed the importance of forging closer cooperation in political, economic, security, tourism, education and socio-cultural domains. He highlighted the range of steps taken by Pakistan to foster multifaceted engagement with ASEAN and the commitment to deepen trade and economic linkages with ASEAN member states.
He said that this is in line with Pakistan’s economic diplomacy outreach and consistent with the leadership’s emphasis on geo-economics. He also underlined the importance for Pakistani business community to see how mutually-beneficial collaboration could be achieved by engaging with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), recently concluded by ASEAN and its key trading partners.
The foreign secretary reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to continue working towards up-gradation of its relationship with ASEAN to the level of Full Dialogue Partner (FDP). He further emphasised the importance of hard and soft connectivity between Pakistan and ASEAN – including in transportation, communication and cyber domains, between the ports, and among the peoples.
Pakistan has been a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN since 1993 and has also been a member of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) since 2004.
