President Asif Ali Zardari’s Statement at the 10th Anniversary of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 14-15 June, 2011 Astana (Kazakhstan)

(2011-06-15)

Your Excellency Nur-Sultan Nazar-Bayev,
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Heads of SCO Member States,
Heads of Delegations of SCO Observers and Guests,
Distinguished Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Asslam-o-Alaikum,

It is indeed a great pleasure to join you all at this historic Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and to commemorate its 10th Anniversary.

I wish to express our deep gratitude to President Nazar-Bayev and the Government and people of Kazakhstan, for their warm hospitality.

Pakistan wishes to participate in SCO’s initiatives in promoting regional and trans-regional connectivity and trade.

We wish to cooperate with countries in the region in financial and banking sectors, joint ventures in energy, infrastructure, education, scientific and technological development programs.

We are delighted to learn that Afghanistan has decided to seek observer status with SCO.

This indeed is a welcome development.

President Karzai paid an important visit to Islamabad recently.

We had excellent discussions on the way forward.

We agreed to cooperate in fighting terror and in promoting regional connectivity and economic and trade cooperation.

We have made great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and militancy.

Militancy and terrorism pose common threats to our region.

Similarly, drug trafficking and production is not only harming our people but also fueling militancy and terrorism.

There are serious threats to the security and well being of our societies.

Pakistan looks forward to enhancing its cooperation with the SCO to eliminate this menace from our region.

Excellencies,

We hope that our application for full membership would be processed expeditiously.

In the meantime, Pakistan intends to fully associate with all SCO programs for peace and development.

We uphold its objective of regional peace and development. Pakistan also belongs to this very region.

We share with its peoples, centuries of common history and culture.

Apart from our geographical location, the geo-economic realities also encourage Pakistan to join the SCO as full member.

We, therefore, take pride in the remarkable achievements of the SCO over the last 10 years.

Our destinies are inter-linked.

Pakistan looks forward to working together with the SCO countries for achieving shared prosperity and peace.

Pakistan is committed to combating terrorism, extremism and separatism.

Astana is a most beautiful city.

It offers a perfect backdrop for our deliberations to re-invigorate the SCO.

It will be remembered for playing an important role in re-vitalizing the SCO.

Excellencies,

During the past ten years SCO has made significant contributions towards peace and development of the region.

Pakistan is delighted to associate itself fully with the ideals, values and purposes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

We share the SCO’s vision for the future.

We agreed that the way forward to entering in a new era of peace and prosperity is pragmatic cooperation.

At this historic Summit, I wish to convey to all friends and partners in the SCO, Pakistan’s firm resolve to work with you for the common goal of ensuring a bright future of our peoples.

I wish this Summit every success.

Thanks.

Islamabad
15 June 2011

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