ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Thursday the country’s foreign policy should be guided by a vision of the South Asian nation as a “progressive, economically ascendant state” during a three-day Envoys’ Conference in Islamabad.
Kakar expressed these views during his keynote address at the conference, which has brought together diplomats from various countries with significant international clout.
Pakistan’s foreign policy has already undergone a major shift from geopolitics to geo-economics, with the country striving for greater regional connectivity to promote trade and people-to-people contacts within the neighborhood.
“Pakistan’s foreign policy should be guided by a vision of Pakistan as a progressive, economically ascendant state that prioritizes the socio-economic well-being of its people,” Kakar told the participants.
Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is addressing Envoys’ Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on January 4, 2024. (PID)
He added that the country’s foreign policy should continue to aim for peace and mutually beneficial relations across the globe.
Kakar said Pakistan will continue to stand for international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, mainstreaming economic diplomacy and supporting the Palestinian cause.
He underlined that Pakistan will always champion the Jammu and Kashmir cause and the resolution of the internationally recognized dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
Kakar described the conference as timely and relevant against the backdrop of profound transformations taking place in the region and around the globe.
During his address earlier, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani outlined the framework of discussions at the Envoys’ Conference and underscored the need for strengthening the anchoring role of Pakistan’s foreign office in foreign policy formulation and implementation.
Pakistan has tried to contain security challenges posed by militant factions operating in the region while trying to strengthen economic infrastructure with Chinese assistance.
The country has also reached out to friendly nations in the Middle East while trying to explore markets for its technology exports and secure foreign investment.
