In a positive development, in the first trilateral meeting of the Commerce Ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the three countries resolved to boost regional connec-tivity to foster trade and investment ties. Commerce Ministers of Pakistan Ejaz Gohar and Afghanistan Nuruddin Azizi and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Dr Jamshid Khodjaev Abdukhakomovich co-chaired the meeting which was aimed at paving the way for an influx of foreign direct investment, bolstering regional cooperation and enhancing connectivity.
Connectivity is the linchpin of regional integration and cooperation and that is why it gets priority in projects and programmes conceived by various economic blocs. Pakistan has al-ways advocated for regional integrity and connectivity and has given several proposals for a more robust and efficient regional connectivity network in South Asia and surrounding re-gions. It was in this backdrop that the country showed enthusiasm for the launch and imple-mentation of the Chinese-sponsored Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) besides engagements with other regional countries for realization of the dream of regional connectivity through Gwadar Port, rail and road projects, gas pipelines (TAPI and IP) and CASA-1000 (electricity transmission line across several countries of the region). It may, however, be pointed out that the volatile situation in Afghanistan has remained the main roadblock in the way of regional connectivity. It was hoped that after the establishment of the Taliban Government the situation would improve but such expectations have not yet materialized due to the short-sighted policy of the Kabul Government towards the issue of terrorism as its soil continues to be used against other countries, especially Pakistan. We hope Afghanistan would cooperate sincerely with Pakistan and other countries that want to promote durable peace and security in the region which is pre-requisite for success of all ventures aimed at regional integration.
