ISSI conference calls for dialogue, regional cooperation to address emerging challenges

ISLAMABAD, Jul 16 (APP): Experts at an international conference hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) have underscored the need for sustained dialogue, regional connectivity and stronger international cooperation to address evolving geopolitical and non-traditional security challenges.

The international conference, titled “Pakistan in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment,” was organized by the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at ISSI in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Pakistan, said a press release issued on Thursday.

The conference featured three working sessions. The first session, titled “Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Future of Regional Stability,” focused on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, regional security and connectivity, was moderated by Director CAMEA, Dr. Amina Khan.

The speakers of the session included: Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan; Hameed Hakimi, Senior Research Associate at ODI Global think-tank, London; Dr. Ye Hailin, Dean, Institute of West Asia and Africa Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Robert Chatterjee, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Zenith magazine, Germany; Hamza Boltaev, Head of the Centre for Afghanistan and South Asian Studies at The Institute for  Advanced International Studies (IAIS), Uzbekistan.

The speakers observed that terrorism remains the principal challenge in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and stressed that lasting stability cannot be achieved through military means alone. They called for sustained political dialogue, confidence-building measures, stronger institutional linkages and a broader shift towards geo-economics, regional connectivity, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The panelists also highlighted Afghanistan’s central role in linking Pakistan with Central Asia; noted China’s potential contribution to dialogue and trilateral cooperation, and emphasized that genuine political will remains essential for meaningful progress.

The second session titled “Pakistan and the Middle East in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment ” was moderated by Prof. Dr.  Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i -Azam University, Islamabad (QAU. The speakers of the session included: Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Former Special Representative for Afghanistan; Mr. Rashid Al-Mohanadi, Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs; Ambassador Riffat Masood, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to Iran; and Mohamed Amersi, Chairman of the Amersi Foundation.

The discussion focused on the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, Pakistan’s balancing role in the region. The emerging regional security arrangements, the implications of the Iran–U.S. Memorandum of Understanding, the future of the Abraham Accords, and the growing importance of indigenous security cooperation were also discussed.

The speakers described Pakistan as a credible mediator with a balanced and principled foreign policy and stressed the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement, strategic balance and peaceful conflict resolution to promote regional peace and cooperation.

The third working session titled “Non-Traditional Security Challenges Across a Changing Regional Landscape” was moderated by Felix Kolbitz, Country Director FES Pakistan.

Speakers included: Flavius Caba-Maria, President and Director of the Political Department, MEPEI; Yasmin Al-Eryani, Executive Director for Knowledge Production Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies; Dr. Jeanene Mitchell, Founder and Principal, Confluence Envirosocial LLC; Dr. Shabbana Fayyaz, Professor, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, QAU, and Dr. Erzsébet N. Rózsa, Scientific Advisor at the Institute of World Economics, Budapest, Hungary.

The speakers emphasized the need for integrated and locally grounded responses to the growing overlap between traditional and non-traditional security challenges. They identified economic vulnerability, energy dependence, demographic pressures, crime, misinformation, climate change, water security, migration and resilient infrastructure as increasingly interconnected concerns.

The panelists called for stronger implementation of existing policy frameworks, greater community participation, wider use of nature-based solutions and citizen science, and closer cooperation among governments, civil society and local communities. It was also stressed that sustainable security depends on credible institutions, public trust and practical regional and international partnerships.

Each working session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session.