New York, 13 July 2022 (TDI): During the 93rd Plenary of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in sustainable development, Pakistan’s Co-sponsored Resolution was introduced.

The draft resolution was titled, “Strengthening Connectivity between Central and South Asia”. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan proposed this resolution.

Pakistan’s Representative, Ambassador Munir Akram delivered a statement in a national capacity at the General Assembly. He expressed his gratitude to Abdulaziz Kamilov, former Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan.

Presently he is the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for foreign policy for introducing the resolution. Ambassador Munir said that it is an honor for Pakistan to co-sponsor this timely resolution.

He highlighted the importance of regional connectivity for faster economic production, growth, and prosperity. Along these lines, he also reiterated its importance for building and sustaining peace, stability, and security.

Unlocking the potential integration of Central and South Asia can provide a significant impetus to economic growth, productivity, and prosperity in both regions and beyond.

Significantly, Central and South Asia share a common historical and cultural heritage. Pakistan’s Envoy highlighted that Pakistan could serve as a gateway for the landlocked Central Asian states, to South Asia and global markets.

Moreover, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), are timely initiatives to revive regional connectivity.

These initiatives also serve as a preface to this Pakistan Co-sponsored resolution. Also, Pakistan and Central Asian states have concluded several multilateral and bilateral trade agreements.

Remarks over Regional Stability

Ambassador Munir stated that for the success of connectivity and integration between both regions, durable peace and security in Afghanistan is undeniably important.

As a solution to this, sustained engagement is essential. This engagement should be with the de facto Afghan government, especially the forum of its six neighbors plus Russia.

He stated that the greatest challenge to regional connectivity is the tension between Pakistan and India over Jammu and Kashmir. To resolve this territorial dispute, the priority measure should be UNSC resolutions.