JOINT STATEMENT ADOPTED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FOURTH TRILATERAL SUMMIT HELD IN ISTANBUL AMONG THE PRESIDENTS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan visited Istanbul on 25 January 2010 to join the fourth Trilateral Summit held at the invitation of H.E. Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey. On the occasion of their visit to Turkey, H.E. President Hamid Karzai and H.E. President Asif Ali Zardari held separate bilateral meetings with H.E. Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey and H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey.
At the Trilateral Summit, which was preceded by the Joint Working Group meeting held among the Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the parallel meetings of the Chiefs of Military Operations of General Staff and Army Staff and highest intelligence officials, the Presidents held cordial, fruitful and comprehensive talks. The Presidents of the Republic of Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reiterated their congratulations to President Hamid Karzai on his re-election as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, stressed the importance of the priorities he has highlighted in his inaugural speech of 19 November 2009 .
The three Presidents agreed that Trilateral Summit process launched in Ankara on 30 April 2007 has evolved in time into an efficient platform to discuss areas of further and deepened cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of the three countries, as well as of the region. They recalled that each of the past three Trilateral Summits had meaningfully contributed to enhanced dialogue, paved way to broadened economic cooperation and established an umbrella under which security and intelligence cooperation can flourish. They reviewed, on this occasion, the implementation of the decisions taken at past three summits and the noted the progress made with satisfaction.
The three Presidents reaffirmed that the trans-regional development remained a key priority of theTrilateral Summit Process. They further stressed the importance of project based approach and agreed to encourage participation by private sectors in regional development programs and undertaking joint ventures.
In this regard, the three presidents were briefed by the President of Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges on the work of the Istanbul Forum launched at the second Trilateral Summit held in Istanbul on 5 December 2008. They praised the Istanbul Forum’s valuable contributions to diversified economic cooperation as well as to private sector dynamism.
They further reaffirmed that the Trilateral Summit Process is truly representative of the deep rooted and brotherly ties of friendship and solidarity that have grown ever stronger between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey. They stressed the importance of holding the second joint meeting of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commissions of Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan at their earliest convenience.
Recalling the value added brought by the past three Trilateral Summits to mutually reinforcing relations among the three countries and taking into account their provisions of the previous Summit to expand and strengthen the trilateral cooperation among Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey, the three Presidents underlined the importance of education as a key area for the three countries given their young and dynamic populations. Before the Summit, the Ministers of Education of the three countries held a meeting in Ankara on 19 January 2010 and adopted the attached “Joint Statement” which contains recommendations for the further development of mutual friendship and cooperation between future generations. Following the said meeting, the Ministers were received by President Gül.
On this basis, the Presidents reviewed the results of the meeting of the Ministers of Education. They emphasized the importance they attached to human capital as an invaluable asset of their nations, reiterated their determination to spend every effort to accelerate the qualitative development of their youth and underlined the particular role education played in this regard. Underlining the inherently national character of the field of education, they endorsed the recommendations of Ministers of Education of the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The three Presidents, reiterating their determination to effectively tackle terrorism in all its forms and importance of enhancing indigenous capacities to that effect, reviewed the results of the parallel meeting among the Chief of Military Operations and Directors of intelligence services of their countries. On this basis, they emphasised the need to continue cooperation among the military and intelligence institutions of the three countries with a particular focus on joint education and training activities, as well as sharing best practices and lessons learned particularly in countering terrorism.
Underlining the essentiality of enhanced regional cooperation as an indispensable pillar of a comprehensive and coordinated approach aimed at addressing the challenges, the Presidents stressed that genuine regional cooperation can only emanate from within the region.
Recalling the mutually reinforcing linkage between security and development and underlining their countries’ critical geo-strategic location for peace, stability and development in the entire region, while they stressed the implementation of all agreements of their previous trilateral meetings, they agreed to focus on closer cooperation in economic infrastructure particularly in the field of energy and transportation at their next Summit meeting.
H.E. President Karzai and H.E. President Zardari extended cordial thanks to H.E. President Abdullah Gül and H.E. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Government and brotherly people of Turkey for hosting this Trilateral Summit as well as the Regional Summit on Friendship and Cooperation in the “Heart of Asia” in line with the decision taken at their third Trilateral Summit.
ANNEX
BILATERAL AND TRILATERAL MEETINGS
OF THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION
OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
(19 January 2010, Ankara)
JOINT STATEMENT
His Excellency Ghulam Farooq Wardak, the Minister of Education, accompanied by a representative of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and His Excellency Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Education of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, met in Ankara on 19 January 2010 upon the invitation of Her Excellency Nimet Çubukçu, the Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey with a view to contributing to the preparations of the Turkey-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Summit to be held in Istanbul on 25 January 2010.
Prior to the trilateral meeting, the Ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan met bilaterally with the Turkish Minister and discussed various aspects related to the cooperation existing between their countries.
During the meetings, the three Ministers emphasized the importance they attach to education as a vital tool in the development of individuals and societies. They noted the ongoing cooperation among their countries in the field of education and reiterated their commitment to further develop this cooperation.
The Ministers acknowledged that young populations of their countries present both a challenge and an advantage. Aimed at strengthening and encouraging existing ties of friendship among the youth and increasing awareness of the strong historical bonds which their nations enjoy, the Ministers decided to support translation and publication of books in their respective languages.
The Ministers, underscoring the importance of female education for social transformation, decided to identify pilot projects in this area.
Mindful of the opportunities as well as the challenges generated by globalization, the Ministers underlined the importance of skilled human capital as an engine of economic growth, and resolved to expand their cooperation in the field of Higher Education.
Bearing in mind that education is preeminently a national exercise, and that the characteristics of each country is unique, they agreed to recommend to the Trilateral Summit to adopt an Education Promotion Package, which would contribute to the further development of mutual friendship and cooperation between future generations:
- Establishing faculty development programs;
- Vocational training possibilities;
- Expanded school partnerships;
- Expanded exchange programs;
- Encouraging engagement of the Chambers of Commerce;
- Increase of the number of scholarships;
- Exchange of expert delegations;
- Assistance in establishing education faculties and teacher training institutes;
- Courses at the Public Administration Institute for Turkey and the Middle East in Ankara,
- Use the experience of Turkey in bridging the gap between graduation and employment over coming gender disparity and illiteracy.
The Ministers decided to maintain contacts among the high level officials of their Ministries to follow up the results of the Trilateral Summit.
Ankara, 19 January 2010
H.E. Nimet Çubukçu
Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey
H.E. Ghulam Farooq Wardak
Minister of Education of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
H.E. Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Education of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
