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As a friend and a neighbour, Pakistan has always and unequivocally supported Sri Lanka's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the banquet hosted by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Gen. Musharraf said Pakistan fervently hopes that peace and normality returns to Sri Lanka.

"We endorse the Sri Lankan Government's effort find a peaceful and negotiated solution to the internal problem," he added.

The Pakistan President said: "I had the pleasure of visiting Sri Lanka in October 1999. Little did I know that immediately on my return from that memorable visit, destiny had additional responsibility in store for me.

"Links between our two countries date back to ancient times when the Indus Valley civilization and the Gandhara Buddhist Culture blossomed in Pakistan. In the modern era, our friendship goes back to the period of our independence struggle. In a gesture of solidarity, in 1946, a group of people from Beruwala sent a gift of seventy precious stones to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his 70th birthday, wishing him success in his campaign for an independent Pakistan.

"A shared past must serve as an anchor for close relations in the present and for the future. Fortunately, both our countries have been assiduous in efforts to build strong ties and to look for new avenues of cooperation. The remarkable cordiality and understanding that characterizes relations between our two countries and the commonality of views on regional and international issues are a source of deep satisfaction.

"I fondly remember my meeting with you early this year at the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. We had the occasion to briefly review our bilateral relations, the regional situation and the future of SAARC. Your role as Chairperson during a particularly difficult period in SAARC's history as well as your resolve to revive SAARC won our respect and admiration.

"Unfortunately SAARC has not been able to develop at the desired pace. The main drawback has been the absence of an enabling environment in which it could prosper. Being an optimist by nature, I believe that SAARC can become an effective vehicle for positive change and economic development in the region. But the realist in me suggests that all the lofty ideals and goals which we may set for ourselves will remain illusory if the Member States do not develop trust amongst themselves, if we fail to respect the principles of sovereign equality and mutuality of benefit, and if bilateral differences are not resolved through peaceful means on the basis of justice and international norms.

"The Jammu and Kashmir dispute continues to cast a bleak shadow across the political landscape of South Asia. The dispute has been at the heart of Pakistan-India tensions for almost 55 years. It is internationally recognized as the most dangerous source of conflict in the world.

"To attain durable peace in our region, the Kashmir dispute must be resolved by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Resolution and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan and India cannot remain in a state of confrontation forever. On its part, Pakistan desires de-escalation, reduction of tension and recourse to meaningful dialogue and negotiations to address all issues. Sooner or later, we have to find solutions to our problems. The earlier we do it the better it will be for us and for the rest of the region.

"Terrorism has become a scourge of our times. Like Sri Lanka, Pakistan has also been a victim of terrorism. Both our countries have paid a heavy price in terms of its fallout on our body politic as well as on our socio-economic structures. Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

"In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11 last year, we joined the international campaign against terrorism. However, this effort cannot succeed by only addressing the symptoms and ignoring the root causes of the problem. There is need to redress injustices that breed extremism and violence.

"I recall the message of felicitations from Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on Sri Lanka's independence. He said "Pakistan has the warmest goodwill towards Ceylon, and I am sanguine that the good feelings which exist between our two people will be further strengthened as the years roll by and our common interests and mutual and reciprocal handling of them, will bring us into still closer friendship". This message captures the moving spirit of our relations. We have not looked back in our march towards strengthening our bonds of amity.

"We are agreed that to further consolidate our close bilateral ties, we have to add greater economic content to our relations. Happily we do not have competing economies and can therefore complement each other in the process of economic growth. The Free Trade Agreement that our two sides are negotiating and the three agreements that will, hopefully, be signed during my visit, are steps in the right direction."

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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