Islamabad, February 03, 2023 (PPI-OT):The China Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad hosted a delegation from the Youth Parliament to discuss the topic of ‘Global and Regional Perspectives of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’. ISSI Director General Ambassador Sohail Mehmood addressed the question and answer session. The Youth Parliament delegation was led by Mr. Rizwan Jaffar. Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director CPSC welcomed the guests in his introductory remarks and briefed the guests about ISSI.
Giving a warm welcome to the members of the Youth Parliament, Ambassador Sohail Mehmood highlighted the global and regional perspective of Pakistan’s foreign policy amid the rapidly changing global environment. He said that the current international conditions are rapidly going towards degradation. States are faced with the challenge of international peace keeping in mind their own interests.
He highlighted some of the key factors in states’ foreign policy – including geography, identity, history, resource allocation, leadership, economic imperatives, overarching strategic concepts, and the role of national institutions. He also emphasized the important relationship between the internal stability of states and their external influence.
Ambassador Mehmood emphasized that Pakistan’s foreign policy is based on the strategic concept of ‘peaceful neighbourhood’, commitment to good relations with all major powers and multilateralism based on mutual cooperation. The most recent shift in the country’s approach was from geostrategic to geo-economics.
Ambassador Sohail Mehmood highlighted Pakistan’s relations with America, China, Russia, and Muslim world, European Union, Japan, ASEAN and Africa. In the regional context, the importance of bilateral relations with Afghanistan and India was emphasized.
It was emphasized that a just solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is the promise of lasting peace in South Asia. Ambassador Sohail Mehmood also highlighted Pakistan’s role on global issues such as Corona Virus, Climate Change, Islamophobia, and UN Security Council reforms.
Mr. Rizwan Jaffar also explained how Youth Parliament has evolved into a national level organization with global reach. He highlighted that the aim of the organization is to empower the youth who are the most valuable asset of this country. Their development will lead them to participate effectively in policy making and represent Pakistan better.
At the end of the event there was a question and answer session in which the participants asked many questions. In the end, Chairman BOG Ambassador Khalid Mehmood gave his closing remarks, after which a commemorative shield was presented to the visiting delegation of the Youth Parliament.
For more information, contact:
Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)
Sector F-5/2, Islamabad – 44000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9202481
Fax: +92-51-9204658
E-mail: strategy@issi.org.pk
Website: http://issi.org.pk/