Measures like Kartarpur corridor can open new avenues for peace in South Asia: EU Deputy Head of Mission to Pakistan
If the Berlin Wall can fall, relations between Pakistan and India can also improve with time. The opening of the Kartarpur Corridor is a step in the right direction in this regard and other such measures can lead to a better and peaceful future for South Asia.
These were the views expressed by Anne Marchal, Deputy Head of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan, while responding to questions in an interactive session titled ‘Brainstorming Research Ideas: Pakistan-Europe Relations’, which was organized by IPS on November 14, 2019 as part of its initiative of ‘Indigenizing Policy Research in Pakistan’.
The speaker discussed the present state of relations between the EU and Pakistan at length during the session. She revealed that the bloc and Pakistan have signed an engagement plan to enhance cooperation in the areas of security, development, technology and education, whereas the EU has been working with Pakistan to prevent and stop illegal migration.
Marchal also underscored the need for increased cooperation and understanding between Pakistan and the EU, suggesting that the think tanks from European countries and Pakistan should play a greater role in enhancing mutual understanding by working together for the objective. She also stressed that knowledge sharing between academics and students must also be facilitated from all sides.
Responding to a question on the Kashmir issue, Marchal acknowledged that the European Union lawmakers who were recently allowed by India to visit the Kashmir valley did so in their individual capacities and not on an official trip.
Speaking about other important global issues, the speaker said that the EU fully supports the peace process in Afghanistan as well as Iran’s non-proliferation deal, as it strongly endorses universalization and full implementation and enforcement of multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation for global peace.
Marchal earlier presented an overview of the EU global strategy, sharing its shared vision and common action for a stronger Europe. She maintained that the goal of the strategy was to work towards a rule-based global system instead of adopting a Europe-centric approach, and the way forward for that would be to strengthen the bloc’s multilateral engagement with other countries of the world.
