Pakistan Calls for Closer Regional Cooperation

The first Six Nations Regional Cooperation Meeting against terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal migration and organized crimes was held on 3-4 July in Istanbul, Turkey.

The countries represented at the Meeting included Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. Pakistan delegation to the Meeting was led by Secretary for Interior AzamSuleman Khan.

The Meeting, organized by Turkey, is aimed at establishing a new cooperation mechanism among the regional countries to deal with the issues of terrorism, irregular migration, drug trafficking and organized crimes.

In his statement, Secretary Interior AzamSuleman Khan appreciated the initiative of the Republic of Turkey to enhance regional cooperation on important issues affecting all the participating countries.

He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and the achievements the country has made in this regard. He particularly highlighted the enormous sacrifices made by the valiant armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan in countering the threat of terrorism.

The Secretary Interior also shared the efforts Pakistan has made to combat irregular migration. Referring to loss of thousands of precious lives in illegal transit, he underscored that while dealing with the issue of irregular migration, its human side must not be overlooked. He also shared Pakistan’s efforts in countering drug trafficking and organized crimes.

Measures taken by Pakistan in these areas were highly appreciated.

The Interior Secretary reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to close cooperation with regional countries to achieve the shared objectives of countering the common threats through joint efforts.

On the sidelines, the Secretary Interior held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Islamabad
5 July 2019

266/2019