Opening Statement by H.E. Mr. Atiqullah ATIFMAL Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the 2014 SPECA Economic Forum 4 December 2014 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a pleasure and honour to open the 2014 Economic Forum of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia. I am glad to welcome high-level representatives of SPECA countries as well as partner organizations and donors. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for generously hosting the Economic Forum and the Governing Council in Ashgabat. This is the most convincing proof of Turkmenistan’s commitment to strengthening the stability and economic development of our region through the promotion of regional cooperation. Ladies and Gentlemen, Afghanistan and Central Asia are linked by shared challenges and opportunities. We need to join forces to combat religious extremism, terrorism and organized crime. Regional cooperation, by providing a strong impetus to economic development addresses the root causes of these evils. Poverty, the lack of jobs and proper education create a fertile breeding ground for terrorism. Our countries should give the highest priority to regional cooperation and work together to remove the stumbling blocks and barriers that hinder it. This would greatly facilitate our efforts to improve the lives of millions of people, reduce poverty, reverse environmental damage and achieve sustainable development. Land-locked or double land-locked, SPECA countries share an interest in improving regional connectivity. By working together we as land-locked countries can more effectively take advantage of the opportunities offered by geography to become land-linked countries. Our region as home of the Silk Road lies at the heart of the Eurasian continent, at the crossing of north-south and east-west transport corridors that bring our countries closer to world markets. Our region has the potential of becoming a transport hub between Europe and Asia. Central Asia provides the shortest road and railroad links between the economic powerhouses of the Eurasian continent. The railroad connecting Kazakhstan through Turkmenistan with Iranian seaports, inaugurated just yesterday by the leaders of the three countries is an important addition to this network of corridors. The Lapis Lazuli Corridor between Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey offers the shortest route from Central Asia via the Caucasus to Europe. Membership of Afghanistan to the Transport Corridor of Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) will be concluded soon. On the other hand, the accession process of Afghanistan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is in its final stage. Re-activation of Afghanistan to the TIR convention is another achievement. Afghanistan has recently got membership of the International Union of Railways (UIC) and OSJD which will be major steps towards closer connection with the countries of the region by development of our newly established railway’s infrastructure. Through closer cooperation and a well-functioning regional market the rapidly developing energy exporting countries of Central Asia can become drivers of faster economic growth in the whole region thus contributing to shared prosperity and stability. By implementation of mega energy projects such as CASA 1000 and TAPI, Afghanistan will connect energy rich central Asia to the energy deficit south Asia. It offers the shortest transit routes for energy exports from Central Asia to India and Pakistan. Excellencies SPECA has actively supported regional cooperation between Afghanistan and Central Asia for years. The 2010 Economic Forum in Geneva under the title “Strengthening Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: a contribution to long-term stability and sustainable development of Afghanistan” led to the more active involvement of Afghanistan in SPECA programs and projects. Afghanistan’s decision to chair the Programme in 2014 provided further impetus to activities supporting its cooperation with Central Asian countries. The topic of this year’s Forum, suggested by my Government, is “Improving connectivity: a key contribution of SPECA to the success of the Transformation Decade of Afghanistan”. This choice reflects the importance of improved trade, transport and telecommunications links and easier border crossing for economic growth – a key priority of my Government during the Transformation Decade which offers great hopes and opportunities to the people of Afghanistan. Distinguished delegates, My country is on the eve of transformation decade (2015-2024) in political, security and economic fronts. By the establishment of our newly elected unity government in late October as a result of the first ever democratic transfer of power in the history of Afghanistan and through assuming full responsibility of our own security by the end of this year, the political and security transition will be concluded. However, the economic transformation from an aid-dependent economy towards self-reliance remains top priority for our newly established unity government. The strategic vision for transformation decade “towards-self-reliance” was presented to 2012 Tokyo conference on Afghanistan and will be revitalized in the ongoing London conference communique as commitments to reforms and renewed partnership between Afghanistan and the international community, During the Transformation Decade Afghanistan would like to become a catalyst for regional cooperation in the framework of Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process and Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA). It can demonstrate most convincingly the strategic, security and economic benefits of strengthened regional cooperation for Central Asia. SPECA offers an excellent framework for these efforts. The multitude of UNECE legal instruments, standards and recommendations provide a solid background for our work to develop a harmonized regulatory framework for regional transport and trade links. But the greatest strength of SPECA is the combination of policy- and expert level work. It hosts strategic discussions on regional cooperation and at the same time provides technical assistance in many areas where such cooperation faces challenges. I would like to invite all SPECA participating countries to engage in a high-level, strategic dialogue on improving regional connectivity. Our discussion today should outline the key topics and objectives of such a dialogue. I trust that the strategic discussion today will help generate even stronger support to regional cooperation within the region and the donor community. I am looking forward to a substantive and fruitful exchange of views that should contribute to the development of a long-term strategy for SPECA. I encourage all participants to present their views and ideas on how SPECA can best support the economic development and stability of Afghanistan and Central Asia by effectively promoting regional connectivity. Thank you.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 12:13:34 +0000