ISLAMABAD, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Thursday highlighted her government's diplomatic success in five years and said Pakistan pursued a proactive foreign policy focusing on region and taking decisions purely in national interests.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, she gave an overview of the challenges confronted in the domain of foreign policy during the last five years. The minister said the foreign policy was driven by confidence rather than fear and the Parliament provided guidelines for intensive engagement with the world.
She said the priority of the foreign policy has been to provide peaceful and stable regional environment so that people could concentrate not on borders, disputes and animosity but on internal growth and stability.
In the regional context, the foreign minister said China has been our strategic ally and the present Government focused on transferring politically strong relations into economically strong ties. In this regard, she particularly referred to historic Gwadar Port agreement, Chinese investment in energy and infrastructure projects and President Asif Ali Zardari's nine visits to China.
About India, she said, the leadership decided to start investing in friendship and trust building instead of traditional hostility and animosity that the two countries witnessed in the past. She said many steps including improvement of trade relations were taken to build trust.
Replying to a question, the foreign minister said Pakistan wants resolution of Kashmir dispute, but pointed out that there was not required level of trust at the moment for resolution of the issue through dialogue.
She said the democratic government demonstrated its commitment to have relations with Afghanistan on the basis of sovereign equality.
"We aspire for no role in Afghanistan than to facilitate Afghan people on the course chosen by them for peace and reconciliation," she said.
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