Minister Cannon talking points on the Afghanistan Pakistan Border Region Prosperity Initiative - Gatineau, Québec, March 29, 2010
(check against delivery)
Good evening.
Thank you all for being here.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been a G8 focus for several years now, including under the presidencies of Germany, Japan and Italy.
Stability in the region is critical for global security.
I am proud to say that over the past three years, Canada has facilitated a dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan – called the Dubai Process — to bring border officials from these countries together to make real and practical steps in addressing the challenges in the border region.
It is in this light, that today, we, the G8 Foreign Ministers, agreed to the Afghanistan Pakistan Border Region Prosperity Initiative.
The launch of the Initiative is the concrete, results-based culmination of our discussions today. The Initiative will contribute to the creation of targeted infrastructure projects essential to the growth of commerce.
The Initiative brings together the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and enjoys the support of two major international financial institutions, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
Through this Initiative, the G8, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank hope to achieve tangible results that benefit the populations of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
They also hope to strengthen regional cooperation and stability across the region.
During the first year of its implementation, the Initiative will focus on projects, identified as priorities by the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Canada’s ongoing role will be to bring together the various partners, to support dialogue and to facilitate progress on agreed-upon-projects.
We are looking forward to that contribution.
I will now take a few questions.
News Release: G8 Foreign Ministers announce Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Region Prosperity Initiative
Backgrounder: Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Region Prosperity Initiative
