News
Friday, June 07, 2013
PM wants good ties with neighboursISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the need for improving ties with the neighbouring countries, focusing on settlement of all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir. In his policy guidelines to the Foreign Office soon after assuming the office of prime minister, Nawaz said the government’s immediate attention would be on improving relations with the neighbours. “Unless the region is peaceful, our efforts for growth and development will not meet with success,” said the prime minister. Giving details, a Foreign Office spokesman said the prime minister had stressed the importance of regional consensus for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. The policy of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation will be persuaded, he added. Prime Minister Nawaz also expressed the desire to further strengthen relations with “friends and brothers” in the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran are brotherly countries with whom we shall continue to pursue cooperative relations,” he added. On Pak-US ties, the prime minister noted that both the countries had many areas of common interest. Nawaz said Pakistan would strengthen most valuable and much appreciated strategic relationship with China, which had always been a great friend and a significant economic partner. Regarding relations with Russia, the prime minister said, “We shall continue to enhance ties” with it, and termed the country an important partner and a regional power. He said that despite its economic troubles, Europe would continue to remain an important player on the global scene and Pakistan’s largest trading partner. On terrorism, Prime Minister Nawaz said that the government would develop a comprehensive strategy in consultation with all the stakeholders. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk