Terrorism greatest threat to peace in Asian region, says Nirupama Rao

LONDON - Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Monday said the greatest threat to peace and stability in the region emanates from the shelter terrorists find in the border of Afghanistan-Pakistan and Pakistan itself.

Addressing at the 3rd MEA-IISS Seminar on “Perspectives on Foreign Policy for a 21st Century India”, Ms. Nirupama Rao said: “The greatest threat to peace and stability in our region emanates from the shelter terrorists find in the border of Afghanistan-Pakistan and in Pakistan itself.”

“From India’s perspective, the goal of ushering in a peaceful, stable and prosperous neighbourhood is predicated on enabling each of our neighbours to pursue the shared objective of the development of our peoples,” said Ms. Rao.

“We do not see this as a zero sum game but as a cooperative endeavor, requiring collaboration rather than confrontation, so as to enable each of our neighbours to grow. We do not see this as a compulsion but as a natural choice voluntarily made; a corollary of the inter-dependent world we live in. We believe that our strengths place us in a unique position to actively support the socio- economic development in our region,” Ms. Rao added.

Ms. Rao said that the recent international approaches to Afghanistan, in particular the London Conference last month, are focusing on security and reintegration, development, governance and regional and international cooperation. “The issue of reintegration should be tackled with prudence, the benefit of hindsight, foresight and caution. We believe that any integration process in Afghanistan should be Afghan-led, and should include only those who abjure violence, give up armed struggle and terrorism and are willing to abide by the values of democracy, pluralism and human rights as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution.”

Ms. Rao said for the Afghan Government to take greater ownership of security, it is imperative that Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are properly trained and equipped.

“Similarly, in order to stengthen governance and institution-building, priority should be accorded to building adequate capacity to deliver on developmental objectives. It is self-evident that for this process to be enduring, Afghan ownership should go hand in hand with Afghan leadership,” Ms. Rao stated.

“Afghanistan is centrally placed to emerge as a trade, transportation and energy hub connecting Central and South Asia. The international community must work together to realize this potential. Growing economic interdependence would complement efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the region,” said Ms. Rao.

She said India’s focus in Afghanistan is on development activity with the aim to build indigenous Afghan capacities and institutions. “India is an important neighbour of Afghanistan and we share undeniably close ties that have endured through the centuries into present times. Our focus there is on development activity with the aim to build indigenous Afghan capacities and institutions. This will enable an effective state system to improve the delivery of goods and services to Afghan people.”

Talking about India’s assistance in development of Afghanistan, Ms. Rao said: “Our assistance, now over US$ 1.3 billion, is spread over a large number of provinces in Afghanistan. In ddition to several small and medium development projects, India has built the Zaranj-Delaram road and the power transmission line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul. We are also constructing Afghanistan’s new Parliament building, a symbol of our common commitment to pluralism and democracy. At the recent London Conference, we have announced new initiatives in the agriculture sector and in institutional capacity building.” By Cynthia Chandran (ANI)