ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi on Wednesday inaugurated the two-day Regional Conference on Export Control Programme for Dual-Use Goods in Central Asia, being held in Islamabad.
According to a press release issued by the foreign ministry, the conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union.
It said the regional conference brings together senior officials and experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the US, the EU, the UN and representatives of multilateral export control regimes and other international organizations.
The participants will review national approaches to strategic trade controls with a view to promoting global cooperation on trade of goods and technologies, in line with the relevant United Nations Resolutions, especially UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1540.
Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi at the inaugural session, underscored the right of developing countries to access dual-use goods and technologies for socio-economic development and urged striking a balance between protecting national security interests and facilitating legal trade.
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He said that Pakistan is diligently fulfilling all its obligations regarding non-proliferation and disarmament. The official said Pakistan as a responsible state of a thriving technology landscape with advanced nuclear technology, remains fully cognizant of its non-proliferation obligations.
Director General SECDIV, Haroon Rashid, in his welcome address, briefed the participants on Pakistan’s extensive legislative, regulatory and administrative framework for exercising controls over the transfer of sensitive items and technologies to prevent their diversion to non-peaceful uses.
According to the press release Pakistan’s national control lists are fully harmonized with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Australia Group (AG) and its export control regime is at par with the highest international standards.
The Regional Conference shows Pakistan’s robust cooperation with regional and international stakeholders in non-proliferation efforts. The Conference also shows Pakistan’s role as an important partner of the global community in the implementation of strategic trade controls in line with the objectives of UNSC Resolution – 1540.
