25 November 2005
The Prime Minister has told his Pakistani counterpart that help needed in the wake of the recent earthquake would continue ‘in the months and the years to come.’
Mr Blair met Mr Aziz at the British High Commission in Malta.
Read the press conference:
Prime Minister:
Good Afternoon everyone. It has been my pleasure to hold these talks with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and to begin by once again expressing our deep sympathies and condolences for the loss of life in the terrible earthquake of a few weeks ago, and to say that we will continue to do, both on our own account, and as President of the European Union and as members of the international community, to do all we can to bring help, not just immediately, but in the longer term process of reconstruction. And I would like to pay tribute if I might to the way that the Pakistani government has responded to this terrible tragedy, and also the Pakistani people. But I know from the discussions I have had with people within our own Pakistani community in the UK how deep the feeling has been and of what a great sense of solidarity there has been in respect of it, and I can assure you, Sir, that our cooperation and our help will continue in the months, and indeed the years to come.
Secondly, we have obviously had the chance to talk about many of the common issues that we face, in particular the threat of terrorism and the need to do all we possibly can to cooperate together in defeating it. The Prime Minister knows that obviously since 7 July we have been very anxious to make sure that we do everything we possibly can in order to deal with all the various aspects of this problem, that is a problem unfortunately for Pakistan, for the UK and for many countries in the world today, and again we are very pleased with the degree of cooperation that we have there. And of course we were also able to discuss some of the other issues of importance to us, Afghanistan, Kashmir and so on.
So Prime Minister, welcome to our High Commission here in Malta. I don’t know about you, but this is my first time in Malta.
Mr Aziz:
Mine too.
Prime Minister:
Right. Anyway it is wonderful to meet you and thank you so much for coming here and I enjoyed our discussion immensely.
Mr Aziz:
Thank you Prime Minister. It is a real pleasure to be here in Malta to attend the Commonwealth Summit. We have had very useful discussions. We in Pakistan really appreciate what Britain has done to help us face a major human tragedy and a catastrophe of immense proportions. Over 75,000 people have lost their lives and whole families and generations have been destroyed. We are in the midst of a major relief and reconstruction effort which will take several years, and the help we have had from your Government, Mr Prime Minister, and then in your capacity as the President of the EU, has made a tremendous difference. It has touched the hearts of all the Pakistani people, and as you know, many of the affectees are in Kashmir and they have a large community in the United Kingdom, and all of them have also been very helpful. And your leadership in assisting Pakistan and in talking to many other countries to help us has certainly made a difference and we are greatly appreciative for what you have done.
In terms of terrorism, Pakistan abhors terrorism in any form. We have fought the whole war against terrorism because we believe that the world needs peace, and terrorism has to be opposed in all its forms and manifestations. We have to stand together, we have to share security information, we have to go after those elements who are trying to destabilise the world, and I think the cooperation between our two countries is really exemplary, and I think this will continue because whatever we do together will help world peace and security.
Pakistan is a country committed to peace in the region and in the world. We see ourselves as an anchor of peace and stability in an area of the world which is not immune from problems and challenges and conflicts. So I briefed the Prime Minister about my recent meetings with my Indian counterpart. Pakistan believes in settling all issues through dialogue and discussion. These are complex issues, including the issue of Kashmir, where we have talked to the Indian government and the Indian leadership so that we can find a solution to this major issue. We are making steady progress and I think overall the relations between the two countries are moving in the right direction, but we do believe that sustainable peace in South Asia will be achieved when the issue of Kashmir is addressed, and addressed in line with the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. With Afghanistan, Iran and the whole region, Pakistan is engaged to promote the policy of peace, to promote economic cooperation and to promote the ability of that whole region to live with each other and to live in peace.
Question:
Other than self-evidently the opportunity to continue bilateral relations and bilateral meetings, from your different national perspectives in 2005, what is the point of the Commonwealth?
Prime Minister:
Well you can see the point of the Commonwealth in the discussion we are having on trade, where you have got every single different …
Question:
Inaudible.
Prime Minister:
Well sometimes one of the purposes of a summit is to have people with different viewpoints trying to find some common ground, and actually it is quite useful that within the Commonwealth you have got countries, all of whom will have a powerful impact on whether the trade round succeeds or not, but who have got different perspectives, and we can see that in some of the debates we had today and will have again at the retreat. It is also the case that I think in respect of countries where there have been difficulties, sometimes the Commonwealth has been able to come and intervene, and that has been helpful too. So I don’t want to over-state the case, but actually I think the Commonwealth does have a function in today’s world.
Mr Aziz:
Further from what the Prime Minister just said, I think the Commonwealth provides for all of us a forum to exchange views, specifically on trade. I think the Commonwealth membership is a microcosm of what we will see in Hong Kong in a short while. You have developed countries, you have developing countries, you have small states, all with their unique challenges vis a vis trade. So what we discuss in the retreat today and in the next few days will allow us to clarify our thoughts and try to reach some element of sharing of views. Give and take is what life is all about, and in a complex negotiation like the trade round which is coming, we want to move towards making the Doha round a reality in Hong Kong. Now this is very difficult, this is very complex, but I think in the next 48 hours we will be spending a lot of time on this. In addition, there is a whole matrix of relationships which one covers in a conference like this, be it our commitment against terrorism, which we just talked about, be it many other areas of common interest, we can agree to come together and to share ideas, and sometimes we can even agree to disagree. But if we don’t get together then we won’t make the progress which I think all of humanity deserves and the Commonwealth can help, it is a major part of the world population, a major part of the world’s GDP. So if we get people together and they exchange ideas, perhaps we will make some difference.
Prime Minister:
I think he has put it far better than me. I adopt all that completely, yes.
Question:
My question is about the opening of five points across the Line of Control. Do you think it can help to resolve this issue, and how can the UK help to promote India-Pakistan relations on the Kashmir issue?
Prime Minister:
Well if you will forgive me, I don’t think I will go into the detail about the line of control. But what I will say is that I think all of us want to see progress on the issue of Kashmir and resolving the differences between India and Pakistan. And I agree with what your Prime Minister was saying a moment or two ago, I think that the relationship is a lot better today, we want to see it make progress and India and Pakistan are two great countries, with an enormous contribution to make, both in the region and in the wider world. And therefore it is very important that even though this is a very tense, and tough and difficult issue, that we try and put it on a trajectory where it can be managed and the issues in dispute resolved. And you know I think for Britain, as with other members of the international community, we want to do anything we can to help in that process.
Question:
Britain has recently increased the aid it is sending to Pakistan after the earthquake. Is there anything that the EU can do, is the EU going to be able to pledge more aid soon on that? And to Pakistan, I would just like to ask the Prime Minister, given that Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth for some years, would you now like to see some tough action taken against Uganda, given the political situation there?
Prime Minister:
The European Union has agreed to do more, but obviously both Britain and our other European partners have got to stand ready to help us as we see the needs of people in Pakistan, not just for the immediate but for the long term issues of reconstruction. And though I can’t offer any great prospect we will be able to succeed in this, nonetheless I do believe that the issues that are being raised in respect of trade by Pakistan as well is something that we will try to discuss with other European partners and get some resolution on. And there are two aspects to this: there is first of all the immediate humanitarian help; but then secondly, and in the longer term, the more we can increase trade and development, the better the prospects are for everybody, not just in Pakistan or in Kashmir but in the surrounding area as well.
Mr Aziz:
We are really pleased with the help we have received from Prime Minister Blair and his government, and the EU too. Under Britain’s chairmanship the EU has come through with a lot of financial assistance, and as you know we just had a donors’ meeting in Islamabad a couple of days ago where the total pledges are now $6.2 billion, which is slightly ahead of what we had hoped to get. Having said that, we are seeking the Prime Minister’s assistance, and his help, and leadership to get market access for Pakistan in the EU. It is trade, not aid, which in the long run will help make the difference. We have to fight poverty, we have to rebuild in the earthquake affected areas, and if we get a level playing field, nothing more, in markets like the EU, that can really make a long term difference in terms of the reconstruction and relief efforts which are being undertaken in Pakistan.
On Uganda, we are delighted frankly first that we are back in the Commonwealth and that we have been invited back. This is a major indication to the world that Pakistan is on a path which the whole world recognises and accepts. Pakistan believes in democracy, the voice of the people is the most important voice anywhere. We are committed to that. Today if you go to Pakistan we have an elected assembly, a vociferous opposition, a free press, and that is what makes the society healthier, and in that process each country must have the space to adjust to their local requirements. A one size fit all doesn’t work everywhere, but having said that, there is no question that the voice of the people, the empowerment of the people is the way to go going forward, and that is what Pakistan is committed to. On Uganda per se, I think we will discuss it in the next few days, but frankly the local situation is best understood by the local people, so long as they have a voice. If they have a voice the world will hear it and will act and react accordingly.
delicious
digg
facebook
