ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Pakistan office, hosted a one-day international conference titled “Pakistan in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment.”
Murtaza Solangi, Spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, was the chief guest at the inaugural session. The speakers included Dr Amina Khan, Director CAMEA; Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors, ISSI; Felix Kolbitz, Country Director, FES Pakistan; and Arno Kirchhof, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Islamabad.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood said Pakistan was situated in a regional and global setting undergoing rapid change, where strategic competition was increasing, regional alignments were shifting, and conflicts were producing wider political and economic effects.
He observed that the distinction between traditional and non-traditional security challenges was becoming less clear. For Pakistan, he said, these changes were not abstract developments, as they had a direct bearing on the country’s security, economy, diplomacy and regional outlook.
Ambassador Mahmood said Pakistan’s location gave it strategic relevance but also placed on it the responsibility to follow a balanced, prudent and forward-looking foreign policy. He added that Pakistan’s approach had consistently rested on dialogue, peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, regional stability, economic cooperation and connectivity.
Dr Amina Khan, in her introductory remarks, said the annual CAMEA-FES conference continued to encourage deeper discussion and understanding of common challenges and changing regional dynamics. She said Pakistan was placed in what had often been described as a “tough neighbourhood.”
She noted that the region continued to face a complex mix of traditional and non-traditional security challenges, made more difficult by geopolitical rivalries, great-power competition and prolonged conflicts. At the same time, she said, the region had immense potential for connectivity, economic integration and shared prosperity.
Dr Khan said that at a time of deep geopolitical transformation, sustained dialogue and regional cooperation were essential for building trust, advancing connectivity, and promoting lasting peace and shared prosperity.
Speaking on the occasion, Murtaza Solangi said the conference was timely and important as it brought together experts from across the world at a highly consequential moment.
He said the world was witnessing a transition from a unipolar to a multipolar order. The order established after the Second World War, he said, was collapsing, while major global powers were creating their own spheres of interest.
Solangi said Pakistan today stood at the intersection of several transitions, including unsettled Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and a fast-moving global order. He described the present period as among the most consequential years for Pakistan.
He said last year’s India-Pakistan war and the continuing conflict between the United States and Iran both affected Pakistan. He added that Pakistan maintained good relations with the GCC, China and the United States.
Solangi said Pakistan had tried to reposition itself and contribute to peace in a volatile region. He stated that Pakistan sought a peaceful and stable relationship with Afghanistan and had historically stood with the Afghan people.
He said Pakistan would not like to see Afghanistan become a global sanctuary for terrorism. He welcomed mediation by China, Turkiye and Qatar regarding Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan.
Solangi also said Pakistan was interested in trans-regional connectivity. He described Pakistan’s defence pact with Saudi Arabia as part of a broader agenda to improve relations with the GCC, adding that Pakistan had a sound relationship with Iran.
He said security had become transformative, with challenges including pandemics, natural disasters and other issues. He concluded that Pakistan’s foreign policy was based on strategic balance with regional neighbours and proactive diplomacy.
Arno Kirchhof cited the European Union as an example while expressing optimism about the functioning and sustainability of a rule-based world order, despite ongoing challenges. He identified key areas where Pakistan could build and strengthen its partnership with Germany and other European countries.
Kirchhof also underlined the need to further increase trade, investment and human resource exchange between Pakistan and Germany.
In his remarks, Felix Kolbitz praised Pakistan’s recent global diplomatic manoeuvring in the region and beyond, calling it remarkable. He said that by successfully brokering a peace deal between Iran and the United States and concluding a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan had emerged as a net security provider for the region.
Referring to Pakistan’s unique geography, Kolbitz highlighted key challenges facing the country, including water and climate security as well as transnational terrorism. He stressed that these were shared challenges requiring a collective strategy and a shared response from the global community.
The conference schedule included three working sessions: “Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Future of Regional Stability,” “Pakistan and the Middle East in a Transforming Geopolitical Environment,” and “Non-Traditional Security Challenges Across a Changing Regional Landscape.”
