Pakistan and Afghanistan should synergetically pursue the shared socio-economic and political development goals and create stakes for standing by each other through thick and thin.
Trade and economic connectivity are our priorities, and collaboration in these mutually beneficial areas of relationship can incentivize both nations tremendously and help them attain prosperity, and stability as well as strengthen regional connectivity.
People-to-people ties determine all other areas of the bilateral relationship.
Therefore, we must strive to bring both peoples closer; building on the commonalities like culture, religion, etc. The potential of the formal and informal diplomacy channels must be harnessed to address common misperceptions, differences, and challenges.
These remarks were made by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, in his keynote address during the Pak-Afghan Dialogue on Regional Stability and Geoeconomic Dynamics, while highlighting the importance of bilateral cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly in trade and economic connectivity.
The two-day dialogue was organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), in collaboration with its Afghan partner Organization for Economic Studies and Peace (OESP), where participating religious scholars, tribal representatives, and commerce experts from both countries discussed and proposed pragmatic solutions for addressing bilateral issues concerning economic development, peace, and security, as well as the humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan.
