ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (INP): The Pakistan-China Institute, in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, will hold a two-day international conference, The Islamabad Trilateral Dialogue: China-Afghanistan-Pakistan, on 19th-20th October 2014, here at. Eminent scholars, diplomats and professionals from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan would discuss different strategic issues to draw a roadmap for the future and seek regional cooperation on Afghanistan. This is the first ever think tank dialogue amongst the three neighbours initiated by the Pakistan-China Institute, in collaboration with Konrad Adeneaur Stiftung (KAS)
According to statement issued on Saturday, Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who also heads the Senate Defence Committee, said ‘the purpose of this initiative is to have a dialogue amongst the three neighbours, who share a common vision for peace and security, regional economic cooperation and combating terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking”.
Ronny Heine, Resident Representative of the German political foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Pakistan commented: “The Sino-Afghanistan and Pakistan, trilateral dialogue would review the current outlook for Afghanistan in the changing regional context.”
“In the light of regional countries perceptions, this important and timely dialogue process would draw a roadmap for regional cooperation on Afghanistan,” he further said.
The first day of conference would review the perspectives from the new government in Kabul by Dr Farouq Azam, former Minister and Chairman, Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan; Changing security environment and its impact on Afghanistan-Pakistan relations by Prof Hasan Askari Rizvi, eminent scholar and political analyst, and NATO perspective by Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Director School of Politics and International Relations at QAU. Eminent Chinese scholar Prof. Li Xiguang, Director Pakistan Study Center, Tsinghua University, China would chair this session.
The session on Changing Regional Context would be presided by Ambassador Khalid Mehmood, Chairman, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. Cooperation in Counter Terrorism would be elaborated by Amir Rana, Director Pak Institute for Peace Studies; Ms Li Qingyan, Asstt. Research Fellow at Department of International Strategic Studies, China Institute of International Studies would speak on Economic Integration: Pak-China Economic Corridor, Silk Road Economic Zone & Central Asia Economic Belt.
