ANTALYA,
TURKEY, 9 October 2018: Mr. Saleem Mandviwalla, Deputy Chairman Senate, who is
leading a 6-member Parliamentary delegation of Pakistan to the 3rd
Meeting of the Speakers of Eurasia Countries’ Parliaments (MSEAP), highlighted
Pakistan’s commitment to sustainable development and economic cooperation.
Being
held from 8-11 October in Antalya, theme for the 3rd MESAP is “Economic
Cooperation, Environment and Sustainable Development in Eurasia.” Pakistan delegation includes Senators Mohsin
Aziz, Khush Bakht Shujat, Naseebullah Bazai, and Members National Assembly
Junaid Akbar and Arbab Amir Ayub. Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey Muhammad
Syrus Sajjad Qazi is also part of the delegation.
Delivering
his speech at the plenary session of this key parliamentary gathering, Saleem
Mandviwalla said that presence of a large number of Parliamentary delegations from
40 countries across the Eurasian region representing over 4 billion people is a
testimony to the increasing role of Parliamentary diplomacy towards achieving
peace and prosperity in global politics. Saleem Mandviwalla said environment is
not only national and regional issue, but a global responsibility. He warned
that climate change is a threat to the very existence of life on our planet and
urged to accord environmental issues a high priority in policy formulation in
line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Continued world economic
growth should be pursued in environmentally sustainable ways alongwith
improving the economic performance of least developed countries and at the same
time aiming to achieve significant reductions in the incidence of poverty
through increased economic cooperation, he added.
“Sustainable
development” is a universal goal that can only be achieved through peace and
cooperation by viewing the world through the prism of cooperation rather than
competition, said Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla. He opined that MSEAP can
be utilized for achieving sustainable peace by addressing the underlying causes
of unresolved global conflicts; by tackling extreme poverty and global socio-political
and economic disparities; by giving a level-playing field to all in trade and
commerce; through responsible exploitation of natural resources; by addressing
the spectre of environmental degradation and climate change; and by developing
synergies and compatibilities between our national objectives for inclusive
development at the global level. He stressed that the pathway to this common
goal passes through regional integration; trade liberalization; greater
regional and global connectivity; and a mutual appreciation and understanding
of all cultures and civilizations.
Senator
Saleem Mandviwalla underlined that in order to achieve the goal of sustainable
development, it is imperative to resolve long simmering global disputes. “Jammu
& Kashmir dispute remains one of the longest lasting situations of foreign
occupation, like Palestine, and the longest unresolved issue on the agenda of
the United Nations Security Council.” He added that the dispute remains an
international flashpoint and the Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) continue
to suffer from worst human rights abuses. He urged the international community to
take urgent action to help stop the grave human rights violations taking place
in IOK, and fulfill its moral responsibility towards the Kashmiri people by
helping them realize their inalienable right to self-determination in
accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Senator
Saleem Mandviwalla said though Pakistan, as a developing economy, faced several
challenges, it was determined to achieve economic growth and development in a
sustainable manner. He informed that Pakistan had prioritized SDGs which would
enable it to join the league of upper middle-class countries by 2030.
With
regard to the future of MSEAP, he underscored the need for establishing a permanent
secretariat of the forum. He also expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to host
future meeting of MSEAP. He also extended an invitation to Asian Parliamentary
Assembly (APA) members present at the meeting to attend the forthcoming meeting
of APA’s Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Special Committee for Creation
of Asian Parliament (SCCAP), to be held at Gwadar City from 29-31 October 2018.
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