Reaping dividends of Belt and Road Initiative is imperative for a secure, peaceful Indian Ocean Region, says Prime Minister

In this file photo, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi speaks with a Reuters correspondent during an interview at his office in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sept. 11, 2017. (REUTERS)

• The International Maritime Symposium focused on the impact of China’s BRI on the region’s geo-economics and Pakistan’s potential role in it
• The prime minister praised the Pakistan Navy for ensuring the country’s maritime security, especially the safety and defense of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its strategic node of Gwadar Port

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi emphasized the importance of developing a collaborative and well-coordinated response mechanism to deal with security threats and keep the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) a peaceful and economically thriving place.
He was addressing a gathering in the federal capital on Monday.
Organized by the Institute of Maritime Affairs (IMA) at Bahria University, the International Maritime Symposium focused on the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the region’s geo-economics and Pakistan’s prospects and role in it.
The prime minister praised the Pakistan Navy for ensuring the country’s maritime security, especially the safety and defense of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its strategic node of Gwadar Port.
He also applauded IMA and Bahria University for policy advocacy and raising awareness in the maritime domain. “I also urge all other stakeholders, including academia, media, civil society organizations and the private sector, to join hands in such endeavors in order to effectively translate such debates into peace, prosperity and sustainable development,” he added.
Given the importance of IOR, Abbasi said that Pakistan acknowledged and appreciated the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping for conceptualizing and announcing BRI with the economic objectives of “connectivity, unimpeded trade, and financial integration.”
In his inaugural address, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi said that the idea of “economic networking,” which was the cornerstone of BRI, would not only help revive historical links but also contribute toward greater prosperity of the nations renewing transcontinental trade routes connecting Asia, Africa, Europe and even beyond.
While highlighting the significance of IOR, he said that the region had been the global geopolitical chessboard and one of the core drivers of the world’s prosperity.
However, he also added that IOR had witnessed a seismic shift at the geo-strategic level over the past few decades. While this shift was initially security focused, he pointed out that BRI was an attempt to transform it into geo-economic one.
The symposium attracted a large number of people interested in the Indian Ocean Region and its changing political and economic dynamics. It also brought together some of the leading national and international experts who shared their thoughts on a wide range of issues.