Statement by Mr. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific) at
Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad on ASEAN Day
Chairman Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI)
Director General ISSI,
Honourable Ambassadors from ASEAN Member States,
Distinguished Guests.
I extend deep appreciation to ISSI for convening this event. It reflects the enduring efforts of Pakistan to promote dialogue and cooperation, between Pakistan and ASEAN states bilaterally and in multilateral contexts.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Pakistan attaches high importance to its relationship with ASEAN which is shaped by a sustained policy. Since the early 2000s, our “Vision East Asia” has guided a deliberate pivot to entrench political trust, expand economic ties, and cultivate cultural affinities. With diplomatic presence in nine ASEAN capitals, our engagement is institutionalized.
We view ASEAN as an experiment in consensus building amid global centrifugal forces. At a time when geopolitical uncertainties prevail and multilateralism frays, ASEAN’s quiet discipline of unity, non-interference, and shared purpose offers a model of relevance.
Today’s international order is undergoing profound recalibration. The erosion of unipolarity, the rise of digital threats, and the specter of environmental disruption demand deeper cooperation. For Pakistan and ASEAN, this is not the hour for routine dialogue, but for strategic alignment.
Pakistan’s geography renders it a bridge linking South, Central, and West Asia. Through CPEC and regional integration, we extend ASEAN a gateway to broader markets. Demographically, Pakistan mirrors ASEAN’s own aspirations, a dynamic youth, expanding consumer base, and digital momentum. In security, we offer experience marked by a commitment to a peaceful order.
Excellencies, dear friends
Pakistan was granted Sectoral Dialogue Partner status in 1993, making us one of ASEAN’s earliest partners. In 1999, we established the ASEAN-Pakistan Cooperation Fund (APCF), initially capitalized at one million US dollars. Although underutilized for years, the Fund is now being channeled into meaningful cooperation under the Practical Areas of Cooperation (PAC) 2024–2028.
This roadmap sets out 31 targeted initiatives across political-security, economic, and socio-cultural domains. In the first year of implementation, nearly 30 percent of these have already been executed.
Noteworthy among this year’s achievements are:
- Pakistan’s hosting of 21 ASEAN journalists to foster media linkages.
- Holding of the 2nd ASEAN-Pakistan Business Opportunities
Conference in Lahore and Karachi.
- Organization of a research project on robotics, and convening of the
4th ASEAN-Pakistan Conference on Material Sciences.
Pakistan’s engagement with ASEAN transcends declarations. It is anchored in purposeful and sustained action. In this spirit, we have welcomed 47 ASEAN diplomats to Islamabad’s Foreign Service Academy for specialized training which is an investment in human capital.
Pakistan also actively participates in ASEAN Regional Forum meetings. We have proposed substantive initiatives: i) a workshop on UNSC Resolution 1540 to address WMD non-proliferation, and ii) a seminar on peacekeeping with an emphasis on South-South cooperation. This reflects our belief that international security is best preserved through shared responsibility.
Capacity-building is central to our regional vision. Through Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme, we annually offer fully funded scholarships to ASEAN nationals in medicine, engineering, and pharmaceuticals. In cultural diplomacy, we seek convergence. Last year’s symposium, From Gandhara to the World, brought Thai and Vietnamese scholars to rediscover our shared past, while the ASEAN Corner in this institution – ISSI – continues to serve as a forum for forward-looking dialogue. Additionally, a replica of one of Pakistan’s most treasured artifacts, the Fasting Buddha, was presented as a gift to several ASEAN states. It now graces prominent public spaces standing as a powerful symbol of our shared cultural heritage and enduring connections.
Future initiatives will engage the political and security architecture of ASEAN such as humanitarian mines action. It will also address climate resilience, water security, and disaster response. These are the determinants of stability in the coming days.
Tourism, too, holds vast promise. Joint promotion and skills training can create new bridges of familiarity and commerce.
Pakistan and ASEAN represent nearly a billion people. That demographic weight demands digital resilience, sustainable food systems, inclusive growth, and investment in healthcare, gender equity, and poverty reduction. Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme, and its untapped reserves of strategic minerals, offer concrete platforms for partnership.
In this transforming global order, Pakistan stands ready to move forward with ASEAN as a stakeholder in shaping the future.
Excellencies, dear friends
Pakistan views its partnership with ASEAN as a convergence of strategic destiny. The time, we believe, has come to graduate this engagement to the level of Full Dialogue Partnership, an evolution justified by vision, history and aspiration.
We have invited the Secretary-General to visit Pakistan to witness not only what has been achieved but also what remains possible.
While thanking ISSI for this event, I express hope that our discussions today will not merely reaffirm our mutual goodwill, but also define a pathway toward a more imaginative, and purposeful Pakistan-ASEAN relationship, anchored in shared interests and a sober reading of the regional future.
Thank you.
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