Mehbooba to attend Berlin summit on cross-border cooperation

Srinagar, Jun 12 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti will attend a five-day programme on ''Cross-border Cooperation between India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran'' being held at Berlin from June 16.

The programme is being organised by the German Government and Ms Mehbooba is the only invitee from India, a spokesman of the PDP said here today.

He said she would be leaving for Germany on June 14.

A select group of eight high-ranking decision-makers from India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan will be attending the program that would give the visitors an opportunity to discuss the issues of cross-border cooperation in the region with the German experts He said while two representatives each from Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have been invited to the programme, Ms Mufti is the only invitee from India.

Besides deepening the already existing positive approaches on composite dialogue, Jirga process, tripartite commission and G8 initiative, the other issues to be deliberated upon during the programme include security, development, cross-border economic cooperation and build up of civil society networks in the region.

The spokesman said during their stay in Germany, the participants would also interact with the members of the German Parliament, External Affairs Committee, Defense Committee, Federal Chancellery, Federal Foreign Office, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, German Think Tanks and Political Foundations.

He claimed that PDP has emerged as a champion of cross-border cooperation in the sub-continent and the party has made opening of all the traditional cross-border routes for trade as part of its political campaign.

The party leaders have been highlighting the inevitability of dismantling the geographical and political barriers in the region to facilitate greater economic and cultural cooperation as a means to resolve the problems of the region.

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