PRESIDENT Yahya Khan said here today [June 25] Pakistan wants to maintain good relations with all neighbouring countries which will “necessarily follow once the causes of the basic disputes are removed”.

Inaugurating the RCD Ministerial Council meeting, President Yahya said: “The world in which we live today continues to be fraught with international tensions, and I do not see any reduction in the threats to the preservation of peace and security. We in the RCD countries are only too well aware of the necessity for peace, for peace is indispensible to progress.”

The President’s remarks assume special significance in the context of the talk presently going on in a number of countries, especially the Soviet Union and Iran, laying stress on the need to have close co-operation between India, Pakis­tan, Afghanistan, Iran and the Soviet Union.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr Ardeshir Zahedi, told the Council: “We are encouraged by the steady progress achieved by the RCD and the logical and practical approach adopted in our activities.”

Vice-Admiral S.M. Ahsan, Member of the President’s Council of Administration and leader of Pakistan’s delegation, said the achievements RCD had made so far were possible due to “our joint and co-operative endeavour, which was greatly facilitated by a common outlook in political, social and cultural matters”.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2019