By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan and Russia have signed a joint statement on ‘no first placement of weapons in outer space’ in Kyrgyzstan, said a statement by the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The joint statement was signed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
“Outer space is being used by an increasing number of States. Pakistan has been consistently highlighting the risks of weaponisation of outer space, which threaten the long term sustainability of peaceful space activities,” said the joint statement.
“The use of force against space-based objects, the development and deployment of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems and their integration into space assets have added worrying dimensions to the issues relating to outer space.”
It insisted that “there is an urgent need to address gaps in the international legal regime governing the exploration and use of outer space with a view to ensuring that no one threatens peaceful activities and applications of space technologies for socio-economic development.”
“Pakistan and Russia share a common position on the prevention of arms race in outer space and work collectively in various international fora towards that goal,” said the statement.
The signing of today’s Joint Statement on no first placement of weapons in outer space is a reflection of convergence of views between the two sides, Pakistan Foreign Office said.
Earlier while addressing the two-day SCO council of Foreign Ministers meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for collective efforts amongst member countries to meet the present day challenges and to achieve sustainable development.
He said the SCO serves as an important platform for links amongst the regional countries. He said Pakistan is determined to implement the Charter of the SCO.
Referring to the geo strategic location of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project will help further promote links in the region.
Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the foreign minister stressed the need for addressing root causes of the curse. He said Pakistan is amongst the few countries which successfully countered terrorism.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan is ready to share its experience and expertise with the SCO friends to deal with terrorism.
On Afghanistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said it is a matter of satisfaction that the Afghan peace process has started. He said Pakistan will continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process owned and led by its own people.
The Foreign Minister said conflict resolution is important for peace and stability in the South Asian region. He said Pakistan has given the message of peace by opening the Kartarpur Corridor for the Sikh community.
He said we have practically reinforced the Shanghai spirit through Kartarpur corridor.
