02 Nov 2017
02-Nov-2017
Source: ASEAN Secretariat News
ASEAN, Pakistan reaffirm commitment to partnership
JAKARTA, 2 November 2017 – The 6th Meeting of the ASEAN-Pakistan Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AP-JSCC) held in Jakarta today reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to revitalise their partnership.
Pakistan was accorded the status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1993. The AP-JSCC meeting is a key mechanism to guide ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation.
On the way forward, ASEAN and Pakistan agreed to develop a medium-term cooperation roadmap comprising practical, feasible and mutually beneficial activities to guide collaboration between the two sides.
Recognising ASEAN’s important role in promoting peace, stability and economic development in the region, Pakistan expressed its commitment to support ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture.
Both sides reviewed ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation over the past years and discussed the ways and means to enhance collaboration in areas such as combating transnational crime, illicit drugs, trade, investment, science and technology, disaster management, tourism, human resource development, connectivity, and narrowing the development gap.
In addition to promoting greater business-to-business and people-to-people contacts, Pakistan expressed interest in supporting ASEAN in the implementation of the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan III.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Political-Security Community Department, Hirubalan V P, and Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia Pacific) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Imtiaz Ahmad. Senior Representatives from the Commerce and Industry Ministries of Pakistan and Ambassador of Pakistan to ASEAN, Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, were also present. The meeting was attended by the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and senior representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat.
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