ISLAMABAD: The trilateral “Afghanistan-Pakistan Track – II & III Diplomacy Workshop” is all set to brainstorm closer cooperation and sustainable ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The two-day workshop is being kicked off today (Monday) at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS). It is being organised by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Pakistan Office with the assistance of the German ministry of foreign affairs, and has also been endorsed by Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari.
“The aim of the workshop is to establish and institutionalize a bilateral platform – “Afghanistan-Pakistan Track II & III Forum”, said Dr Babak Khalatbari, Pakistan’s representative for KAS.
Track II refers to members of Parliament and Track III refers to members of civil society.
The objective of the trilateral meeting is to hone and translate recommendations for stronger bilateral ties into concrete steps. In order to effectively deal with the issues while working on common ground at the grassroots level, Track III has also been emphasized besides Track II diplomacy to further improve bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly in context of the post-2014 regional scenario.
Prominent parliamentarians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Germany are participating in the two-day workshop followed by a third day of political interaction with counterparts. Diplomats, senior journalists, and civil society gurus from the three collaborating countries are also to participate.
Engagement with individuals belonging to Track II (Parliament) and Track III (Civil Society) is “not only unique but has proven to be greatly successful during the implementation of the past projects”, Dr Khalatbari said.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2012.
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