–‘Regional cooperation necessary to face common challenges in South Asia’ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a conference unanimously said on Wednesday that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) offers a vision of common economic development for the entire South Asian region, which may eventually lead to common security architecture. Global powers should play a proactive role in bridging the divide between disputants by facilitating political engagements between South Asian countries, they underscored, adding that BRI offers a vision of common economic development for the entire South Asian region, which may eventually lead to common security architecture. Rather than attempting to sink this economic initiative in controversy, it should be seen as a means for mutual economic prosperity and development, they recommended. They also called for Pakistan and the US to rationalise their expectations from each other in terms of their objectives in the region and common concerns. However, he said, CPEC should be treated as a catalyst and not as a substitute or panacea for Pakistan’s internal economic development.

Source: Pakistan Today December 12, 2018 15:22 UTC