GOA: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan is committed to multilateralism for forging friendly relations among nations and supporting peaceful settlement of longstanding international disputes.

Speaking at SCO meeting in Goa, he said unilateral and illegal measures by states in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to SCO objectives. He said it is imperative that willful provocations and incitement to hate, especially on religious grounds are roundly condemned. It is our collective duty to fight against fascism and historical revisionism that is leading to violent ultra-nationalism anywhere in world. He said we must ensure that racism and xenophobic ideologies, have no place in today’s world and fundamental human rights and freedoms are guaranteed to all.

Bilawal Bhutto ruled out any possibility of negotiations with India till latter reviewed its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, revoking special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He made it clear that his country condemns all forms of terrorism including state sponsored terrorism. He said conflating non-state actors with state actors must be stopped. He said we must address root causes as well as threats posed by specific groups. He said Pakistan is firmly committed to be part of regional and global efforts for eradicating this menace. Commenting on poverty situation in SCO region, Bilawal Bhutto called for collective efforts to mitigate financial sufferings of people of member states. He said we can only overcome this challenge through common efforts and by learning from each other’s experiences. He said establishment of Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation proposed by Pakistan will be step in that direction.

Regarding adverse impact of climate change, he said developed world must fulfill its commitment of providing 100 billion dollars annually for climate finance. Foreign Minister said Pakistan strongly believes in and fully adheres to principles of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of shared development enshrined in original ‘Shanghai Spirit.’

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 06 2023

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