ISLAMABAD: The government has convened a three-day conference of its ambassadors and high commissioners beginning from Tuesday (June 9) for devising a strategy for dealing with evolving situation in the region.

The conference to be attended by envoys posted in countries that are part of the South Asian Association for Reg­ional Cooperation, Economic Co­­ope­ration Organisation and in Gulf regions would be inaugurated by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz.

One of the sources said the conclave was about regional connectivity. Another said that issues pertaining to the region and the role that Pakistan could play for making the regional groupings more effective would be discussed at the event.

The conference is taking place at a time when the stalemate in ties with India is worsening; Kabul’s increased expectations are putting to test the recent improvements in bilateral relations; and the Yemen crisis has challenged the resilience of the relationship with the Arab world. Moreover, the government is working to deepen ties with Central Asian states and has embarked on the mega regional connectivity project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

There are also concerns among the policymakers that India is attempting to isolate Pakistan in the South Asian region through its hectic outreach to the regional countries.

The envoys would be briefed about the government’s policy on the developments taking place in the region.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2015

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