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Time for Pakistan to be a full dialogue partner ASEAN, envoy says
Pakistan has hoped and expected that it could soon become a full ASEAN dialogue partner so that economic and political relations between the country and the vibrant region could reach new heights
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akistan has hoped and expected that it could soon become a full ASEAN dialogue partner so that economic and political relations between the country and the vibrant region could reach new heights.
During an opening of an ASEAN-Pakistan photographic exhibition last week, Pakistani Ambassador to Indonesia Sanaullah said it was time ASEAN accept his country as a full dialogue partner after 17 years of nurturing good relations with the regional alliance.
“We have been a sectoral partner with ASEAN for 17 years. We have fulfilled every procedure and we think our relationship has matured enough to develop into a partnership dialogue,” Sanaullah said.
Sanaullah: AP
Pakistan was willing to increase its economic contribution in the ASEAN region if it were to receive full dialogue partnership status, he said.
“Under the dialogue partnership we can have more enhanced and frequent high-level dialogue between the two parties,” the ambassador said.
Pakistan received Indonesia’s support last year to become a full dialogue partner to ASEAN, joining other nations such as China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia.
During his meetings with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in November last year, visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi told The Jakarta Post his country received Indonesia’s complete support for Pakistan to become a full dialogue partner to ASEAN.
By becoming a full dialogue partner of the 10 member group, he said Pakistan could become part of the vibrant community of East Asia; a region that has become a source of global economic growth, with
even the US and Russia recently taking part.
In January at ASEAN ministerial meeting in Lombok, possibility of Pakistan becoming a full dialogue partner was discussed, but no outcome was reached.
Sanaullah said full dialogue partnership could pave the way for free trade agreements with ASEAN. “We hope to negotiate a free trade agreement,“ he said.
ASEAN’s total trade with Pakistan amounted to US$4.3 billion in 2009.
Free trade agreements would triple direct investment to ASEAN, Sunaullah said.
