Indonesia summit: Aziz pleads cause of Kashmir and Palestine

Urges Afro-Asian collaboration for development.

Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, lamented the unfulfilled right to self-determination of Palestinians and Kashmiris on Friday, calling it an “unacceptable” tragedy in this day and age.

Addressing the Asian-African Summit 2015 in Jakarta today, Aziz recalled that the major focus of the 1955 Bandung Conference was respect for fundamental human rights, including the right to self-determination. Aziz underscored the need for Asian and African countries to strengthen cooperation and collective efforts to overcome the continuing challenges of peace and development.

The Asian-African Summit 2015 is being held in Jakarta in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung in 1955. Pakistan was one of the co-sponsors of the 1955 conference.

Aziz said that Asia and Africa should work together to evolve a strong, inclusive, and equitable Post-2015 Development Agenda. The emphasis should be on new Sustainable Development Goals focusing on poverty eradication and sustainable development.  Cooperation will play a critical role in development of Asia and Africa. The two continents represented 75% of the world’s population but only 30% of the global GDP. The significance of regional and bilateral trade arrangements within the global south could not be ignored and called for enhanced targeted support for Least Developed, Landlocked Developing, and Small Island Developing States to enable them to meet their development goals.



The adviser said that as the biggest victims of terrorism, Asian and African countries must share their experiences and strengthen collaboration to defeat terrorism comprehensively, including by addressing its root causes and deploying a more effective counter narrative.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2015.