Daily Times

The National Security Advisers (NSAs) of regional and Middle Eastern countries on Friday called for an inclusive security focusing on a shared future for all.

Seven NSAs form China, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented their suggestions during National Security Advisers Forum on Asian Security in Fluid World Order held under the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue (ISD 2022) under the theme “Comprehensive Security: Reimagining International Cooperation” held here at Pak-China Friendship Center. The forum was moderated by Joint Secretary National Security Division (NSD) Syed Maroof Ahmed and participated by the seven NSAs of China, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, KSA and Uzbekistan through video link.

Opening the Forum, National Security Advisor Dr Moeed said the world was moving in a direction where Pakistan was looking at the world in cooperation not contestation.

He said the need of the ISD 2022 forum was to find the missing link between policy makers and intellectuals for informed decision and policy making.

At the start of the forum, the Chinese NSA expressed his gratitude and congratulated Pakistan for successfully convening the session.

He added that the title of the forum “Asian security in a fluid world” was highly relevant in the prevailing situation.

The Ukraine crisis has brought turmoil in the world and impacted the regional security, he said, adding, “We have seen profound changes and no state alone can achieve all inclusive security”.

The Chinese NSA said President Xi Jinping had a great vision to promote sustainable security and under the prevailing circumstances Chinese side was ready to play role for comprehensive, sustainable and inclusive security for Asia region. He said Asia was the greater attention of the emerging world and its affairs had to be run by the Asian countries. “Asia is open for all for mutual cooperation and security for all”, he added.

He also rolled out four proposals for a cooperation based security framework at the forum for regional partners.

He suggested to conceive common security and enjoy intertwined security and mututal beneficial cooperation, respect for multilateralism norms alongwith the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and other multilateral forums, acquaintance with comprehensive security, zero tolerance measures for curbing terrorism and extremism, measures for environmental, cyber, and biological security, follow the paths of security through common security, honesty and common respect necessary to understand countries’ problem for common security, adopt new ways of security through cooperation, need to safeguard sustainable security through long lasting development, and learn security governance through experience sharing.

“China’s peaceful development relies and starts from Asia and benefits Asia. Strength is not of muscles rather solidarity and the Asian countries have to be united for a better and peaceful future”, he concluded.

NSA of Qatar, Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Mesned said many countries had capitalised in the structures of development leading to security where Asia had transformed with the rapidly changing world order.

“The economic growth becomes the next major aspect of security where the future’s massive growth as projected will come from Asia that leads to the competition of world powers to achieve massive control of the region”, he said.

The Qatari NSA said the demand for natural gas would increase significantly post COVID-19 recovery. “The Asia and Middle East regions enjoy one of the oldest trade links on the earth where the Belt and Road Initiative will revive that history”, he added.

He informed that most of Qatar’s LNG volume goes to Asia whereas the most of its electric vehicles and food commodities were imported from Asia.

“Asia and Qatar are important economic partners that cannot be ignored”, he added.

Responding to queries of NSA Dr Moeed Yusuf, referring to Ukraine-Russia crisis leading to energy supply issues said energy should not be used as a weapon rather should help all nations in need.

“The Ukraine Russia war will have huge impact on energy. Qatar is trying to make up the world needs but unfortunately it will not reach that level of demand”, he said.

The NSA of Kazakhstan said the threats of extremism, terrorism and regional insecurity were evolving with the world trends.

He said that the urgency of reimagination of security farmwork was imperative and ISD as a forum was serving the purpose.

NSA Krygzstan, Lieutenant General Marat Imankulov said the ISD forum would serve the purpose of mutual cooperation and strengthening of regional security.

He highlighted that no country alone could fight the global challenges unless possessing a strong economy. The NSA of Turkey Dr. Ibrahim Kalin said there was need to have opportunity for multiple voices to discourse as the Asian countries were still in a US and Euro centric world.

After the end of Ukrainian crisis there needed to have a new security framework that would have long-term consequences.