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Saturday, June 12, 2010
Regional countries must unite against terrorism, says Zardari* President says narco-money is being used to fund terrorist activities
* Pakistan provides shortest route to link Central Asia with rest of the worldTASHKENT: Regional countries must join hands to address menace of violence and terrorism, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday, while addressing the 10th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Uzbek capital.
Referring to Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism, the president stressed that Pakistan’s contribution to counter terrorism was unmatched. “We are determined to eliminate this menace,” he said.
President Zardari also pointed out that ‘narco-money’ was being used to fund terrorist activities and called for greater collaboration to deal with the menace of drugs and smuggling. “We are determined to reinforce regional efforts to deal with the menace of illegal drugs and trafficking in narcotics,” he said.
The president called for increased collaboration between Pakistan and the SCO’s Business Council and Inter-Bank Consortium to boost trade and commercial ties.
“We can also provide a land bridge for energy-transport and developing a win-win situation,” he said. The president added that Pakistan, owing to its strategic position, provides shortest and fastest trade corridors to link the Central Asian Republics to the rest of the world.
President Zardari also urged the member states to include Pakistan in the SCO, saying Pakistan was the gateway to the landlocked Central Asian Republics.
Earlier, the SCO summit approved a series of documents, including the Tashkent Declaration, the SCO Rules of Procedure, and the regulation on procedure for future membership expansion.
The SCO members agreed in the Tashkent Declaration to further enhance cooperation in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, illegal drug trade and organised trans-national crime.
In his address, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for strengthening cooperation among member states of the SCO. He said China would provide $10 billion for undertaking of projects in SCO countries.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, India’s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also spoke on the occasion.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Zardari held separate meetings with his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov and Chinese President Hu Jintao. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk