PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): South Asian countries have been urged to cooperate on non-traditional security concerns like rising poverty, food insecurity, water shortages, illicit trafficking and human resource development.
Speakers from Pakistan, China, Russia and the US issued the call on the conclusion of an international conference titled ‘Conflict and Cooperation in South Asia: Role of Major Powers’. The event was organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute on Wednesday.
With regard to geopolitics of South Asia and America’s interests, a research fellow from the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, took issue with President Trump’s Harrison policy towards Pakistan.
Harrison Akins said: “Without the input of foreign policy professionals, it appears the Trump administration has difficulty in fully understanding foreign policy implications of his actions, such as connecting his bullying rhetoric and policies toward Pakistan with his increase of troop presence in Afghanistan.”
A strong relationship with Pakistan should be a key part of America’s Afghan strategy, Akins believed, saying US foreign policy under the Trump administration was not shielded from the vicissitudes and demands of domestic politics.
“Foreign policy has become another battleground for Trump’s electoral politics with his actions reflecting what’s best for his administration rather than achieving the strategic interests of the US,” he argued.
Pakistan’s recent peace overtures towards Afghanistan and India had unfortunately not been reciprocated, the speakers lamented, seeking the resumption of dialogue and keeping open communication channels on issues of critical nature.
Global powers were asked to play a proactive role in bridging the divide between disputants by facilitating political engagements among South Asian countries.
They called China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) a vision for common economic development of te the entire South Asian region, which could eventually lead to a common security architecture. The initiative should be seen as a means of mutual economic prosperity and development, they recommended.
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