ISLAMABAD, May 18 (APP):The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) on Thursday held an interactive session at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) to discuss the features of the evolving global and regional environment and the dynamics shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy.
The session titled “Global and Regional Environment and Pakistan’s Position in the Region” hosted the participants of Human Resource Development Programme (HRDP) for Professionals at the International Islamic University (IIU).
CAMEA Director Amina Khan, in her introductory remarks, briefed the group about the working of ISSI.
ISSI Director General Sohail Mahmood highlighted the key features of the evolving global and regional environment and the dynamics shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy.
Among other things, he outlined key determinants of states’ foreign policy — including geography, identity, history, resource endowment, leadership, economic imperatives, overarching strategic concepts, and role of national institutions. He also underscored the vital linkage between states’ internal strength and their external influence.
Sohail Mahmood underlined that the current international environment was extremely complex and fluid and the changes were taking place at an incredibly fast pace. States were facing a formidable challenge to adjust, while keeping the national interest as the fundamental guiding principle.
Among the traditional and non-traditional security threats at the global level, the DG ISSI highlighted great-power competition, Ukraine conflict, Covid-19 pandemic, and climate change.
In the regional context, the developments relating to Pakistan’s engagement with Afghanistan, the state of Pakistan-India relations and Jammu & Kashmir dispute, long-standing cooperative ties with Iran, and strategic partnership with China were discussed.
Furthermore, the speakers also underlined importance of Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), regional connectivity, and Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics.
