John but i am worried about all you. If anything happens, well hear a voice. Ill ask you to follow me. We are going to go either that door over there or the door behind me. Ell take it down to the street. The stairs are right beside that door. Well take two lefthand turns righthand turn, go over to National Geographic and ill buy ice cream for everybody. We will be fine. Please follow our directions if we have to do anything. A real privilege to have foreign minister qureshi here us. Of a distinguished member pakistan. Hes dedicated his professional life to pakistan. Having a brief downrsation before we came and say, washington doesnt have understanding of pakistan. Its a little look having a television and the power or the noise goes out every 40 seconds and you are figure out what is the story. Ecause too much of our understanding of pakistan is from other controversies other big problems. Afghanistan, pakistan, we call afpak. Indiapakistanhe issue of kashmir. Or now increasingly china and role in pakistan so we look at pakistan as a country. We look at pakistan being in the region a complicated with lots of very complex geopolitics and we dont the nation. So part of our goal today is to unfiltered,you here you know, one of pakistans great leaders whos going to us today about Pakistans National interest, directions, and how pakistan wants the United States its journey. Its going to be a good afternoon, and its going to, say, after the foreign minister gives his remarks, my seth jones and dan unde, are going to come up and join him and theyll engage in a bit of a dialogue and bring you into this conversation. A very important afternoon. So could i ask you with your please m applause, welcome to the stage, his excellency, the foreign minister of pakistan, minister qureshi. [applause] mr. Qureshi good afternoon and for showing up. Hamre for inviting me, id like to thank you for speak center for strategic and international studies. m honored to be at the csis, which enjoys a richly deserved epresentation as a central of excellence with south asian studies. Be with delighted to the distinguished gathering many includes scholars, so familiar and friendly faces. Washington at a critical time, both in our internationally. Here is the unabated human rights and humanitarian crisis kashmir. Eight million kashmiris have een on lockdown for more than five months. There is the peace and reconciliation process thats a crucial phase. In uncertain and regional we believe a strong, stable, thriving partnership is vitally important. On where we are in evolving and how the scenarios impact the pivotal elationship between our two countries. Runs ntral team that through the Foreign Policy choices that pakistan is making seeking peace and development. The link between peace and evelopment is the nseptemberual framework inseptemberual inceptually link. Briefly remind all us friends that this took place in august, 2018. In all the months that have hahns Prime Minister included riority stabilization of the economy, mproved governance, combating corruption, and pursuing social Economic Development calls for 210 million people. With serious interest on conomic turnaround is already discernible. Key indicators are improving. Our International Ratings are upgraded. Pakistan is increasingly ecoming protected as a major Tourist Destination for 2020. S the realities transforming the image is changing as well. This er to sustain National Development effort, we peaceful, external environment for a sustained time. Of let me turn to the region. Right now is a subject upon everyones mind. Fact, my visit to the united wider is one leg of a trip that has previously taken saudi arabia. I have been instructed by the rime minister to convey pakistans message in all three is tehran, real, and washington. Partner will only be a for peace. It will not be a part of any war region. Ties with s close both saudi arabia and iran. We have a special relationship with saudi arabia, with a longstanding tradition of always standing by each other in times of need. E are grateful for the support we got in the early days of our government in managing the headwinds. Similarly, iran is a close neighbor. Border, an historical and cultural links between the two countries together. Know that may not pakistans Embassy Embassy of in washington has also looked after iranian interests United States since revolution. Deeply cognizant of the security nd economic perils that a new war or a military confrontation entails, pakistan has been ready from the outset to support diffusing and removing misunderstandings. The prime tember, minister took an initiative to approach the leadership of the with the concerned in to playing our role facilitating a peaceful solution f differences and dispute through diplomatic means. Pakistan ent phase, welcomes the indication given by states and iran tensions. Late we clearly see space for iplomacy here and we believe this space must be optimally utilized. Interactions, i have consistently called on all maximum o exercise estraint, avoid any further escalating step, diffusing tension and agree to be constructively engaged. We hope our collective endeavors will create an effect as we the parties concerned to go beyond the declared intentions of deescalation and practical steps to preserve the peace. Brink that the world is seeing a glimmer of hope. Our country s know and region will not know a real our afghan brothers and sisters are at peace. Both within and without. We know this because we have with the people of afghanistan. Our encountering with the afghan tragedy did not egin on the morning of september 11, 2001. It began when the first soviet marched into afghanistan in december, 1979. T began when the first become five million afghanistan pakistan. Ame to thats how long the people of pakistan have suffered blowback conflict and instability in afghanistan. Years and counting. Thisontext, just remember, is more than half of our life as nation. Endent let me also add that since 9 11 70 Pakistani Security forces and civilians the ultimate sacrifice with the fight against terrorism. Our economy has suffered over billion in direct economic losses. The indirect costs that the war imposed byrorism has economicg our National Catastrophe is just incalculatable. U. S. Has shed too much blood and spent too much treasure. Of ant to honor the memory our Fallen Soldiers and countrymen by successfully the mission in afghanistan. Akistan has long argued that there is no military solution for afghanistan. One of nister khan was the first leaders in the region ho consistent liad voe indicated a political route towards peace in afghanistan. Is why we welcome President Trumps Bold Initiative for settlement political in afghanistan. In stans positive role facilitating the afghan Peace Process, including the talibanu. S. Talks, is internationally acknowledged. Hope today that 2020 could be the year of peace in afghanistan. Significant ade rogress, much more needs to be done. Atience and perseverance are indispensable. We need to make sure that peace n afghanistan is ultimately a shared responsibility. Pakistan is and will play its alone cannot do all that is needed. And nternational Community Important regional players have to play their part. Time, we have to be vigilant against spoilers. Country in t every the broader region wants to see afghanistan. While we sincerely work for must in afghanistan, we also sharpen our focus on reparations for the postconflict phase. No stan hopes there will be precipitated action and that International Patrol will be and orderly. It is in no ones interest to mistakes of the 1980s. International engagement for reconstruction and sustained development will be pivotal. It would also help create for the return of afghan refugees in pakistan and elsewhere. That the United States and other partners would work we afghanistan as politically mainstream and develop our former areas. Along the pakistan and would benefitrder both sides. Compelling her reason for us to see peace irmly established in afghanistan. Or too long, pakistan and the u. S. Relationship has remained hostage with the afghan issue. Want this to change. Are too u. S. Relations significant and possess too huge to be confined to the afghan prism alone. In afghanistan will help both sides take a fresh look at we can do together to nrich our historic relationship. The present regional scenario lso makes the challenge of complicated. E more we firmly believe the gains made protected and the since january 3 in the region handle in a way that any on the peace t rocess in afghanistan is avoided. Having come this far, there should be o there setbacks. Ance for any Prime Minister khan has always nvisioned a peaceful neighborhood. After winning the elections in promised that if we took one step forward for will take two. Repeated efforts to change the symbolism and historically his relationship. Unfortunately, they have spurnd gesture, driven by myopia, illplaced arrogance, importantly, domestic electoral calculations. Hypernationalism to win elections, india nearly into a he two countries war last february. That is the setback from the rink is almost entirely too strained shown by pakistan and by statesmanlike handling Prime Minister khan of the pilot. D commitment of our peace as a sign of weakness. The d hoped that after indian elections, the parliament maturity. Lay more it would recognize that pakistan fighting should be hunger together rather than other. G each nstead, the government has embarked upon the project of a hindu a into adherence have established disastrous consequences for all in india see. He world to on august 5, india tried to status of disputed kashmir and order its demographic structure. All Relevant International laws and violating Security Council resolutions in the process. Break as been seeking to the will of the kashmiri people them in their homes and imposing a that ications blockade continues to this day. Housands of kish miris, particularly young boys, have been imprisoned,ing tortured, as 9 haveren as young not been spared. He indian narrative that kashmirs internal part is being on the by Security Council agenda. Case, why e not the would the french president raise t with the indian Prime Minister . Equally insulting, the ntelligence of the World Community is bizarre in the argument that it is for economic kashmiris. Of the yes, Economic Development being over red at gunpoint by 900,000 occupation troops. If not addressed, the crisis in ashmir has the potential to become a flashpoint between the wo countries with strategic capabilities. When the kashmir crisis began in august, Prime Minister khan warned the world about the nexus with the fascist ideology. Some of our friends felt we were exaggerating. Prime minister khans by ing is being vindicated everybody a and recognizes that. He mask has slipped and the reality of the world view is fully exposed. Shutdown in s kashmir is already the longest democracy. D by a if today we can the passage citizen Amendment Act and the National Register of raising fundamental ideals s about the founding that indias father advocated. Attic of aps symptom the divergent tragedy of our two ountries that when the Indian Supreme Court was handing over historic n which the mosque had once stood in iodia, samedue religious fanatics that had raised the mosque to ground in 1992, pakistan was corridor. E indian state terrorism and of Indian Occupied kashmir and the governments religious hatred and presency frenzy in india dangerous implications in the region. This indian get, government has history of externalizing its problems. Only need to cast your mind back to the episode. In runnup to the elections last ear when india sought to deceive the world by never lives. Stream of we fear we are once again reaching such crisis. Day, some new indian official or military against eiled threat pakistan. Meanwhile, we all follow reports police re of indian officer singh whose footprint is now being seen in some major terrorist attack, which india and blamed strated on pakistan. We have been consistently the world to know about another false flag operation pakistan in a they were occupied by two mill stands on dele in delhi. Celebrations should not be lost on anyone. Our government wants peace in neighborhood. We want we need peace in achieving our on domestic agenda for Economic Development. Any e will not pay for india. Ith e know that President Trump is profoundly worried by the kashmir situation and we welcome repeated offers of mediation kashmir ing the dispute. The United States alone commands south asia spect in dispute e the longest on the u. N. Agenda. Minister told President Trump last july, the United States will have the gratitude over two billion eople in south asia if it did so. We hope President Trump is successful in realizing his goal a lasting e contribution with substantial asia. In south hat could be his enduring legacy. Pakistanu. S. Relationship has mutual erved our interests. We often hear u. S. Officials say has much to gain by working with the United States. That is undoubtedly true. But what is also true is that also has much es to gain by working with pakistan. Is what history of our teaches us. We appreciate the assistance the United States has historically as ided us in the areas diverse as agriculture, energy, education. D the United States played a Critical Role in building our base as well as defense capacity during the the 1960s. Ut pakistan also contory butted contributed immensely by helping the United States war, including acilitating u. S. China which decisively tipped the balance in favor of the free world. Pakistan would not have achieved success it did in fighting terrorism without assistance states. United but equally, al qaeda would not shadow of its former self today if pakistan had not helped campaign against its leadersh leadership. Frustrations ared with with afghanistan, lets not forget that the terrorist the ization that attacked United States on the horrible 2001 is morning in diminished today. This is our joint success. Pakistan desires a relationship with the United States that is mutual respect, mutual benefit. And mutual while we continue work with the nited states for peace in afghanistan and for security in ourafghanistan war region, relationship should be larger han afghanistan and counterterrorism. It is also a concern for us that tendency to owing view pakistanchina relations contemporaryens of geopolitics. Remind you that pakistans relationship with maybe as old as our relationship with the United States. Pakistanchina elationship disports the picture. For too long, we have lamented connectivity between the regional economies now in the form of cpac. We have a project that will help economy develop Economic Development goals and to economic us integration in south and central asia. Being suspicious of cpac, supporters of peace in the should welcome the project. The talk of transitions, for a ments, the logic trong pakistanu. S. Relationship is inarguable. Peace in curing afghanistan, we have strategic onvergence on preserving safe and stability in Southeast Asia investment ludes ties. Pakistan is a nation of over 200 whom are ople, 2 3 of under 30 years of age. We sit at the crossroads of china, south and central asia. Market of another three billion people. Is economic potential immense. Trading is our major partner and a significant source of revenues. More ld like to create trade and investment pportunities for both countries. Indeed, when President Trump and Prime Minister khan met in in july, President Trump had spoken of increasing 20 times. Energydeficient country. The u. S. Is emerging as a big supplier. For new found had reason our two countries to cooperate and collaborate. One millionplus pakistani americans remain a the two tween countries. Always i americans have been High Achievers in the areas of professional endeavor. But what has struck me this pakistani more Young Americans are politically engaged. Case earlier. E as a politician, im always people who young have a passion for public engagement. Civic this innate yearning for democratic participation among pakistani americans is a reminder of the many values that from their identities. Values commonality of that is ultimately the bedrock relationship, friends are precious commodities. Not turn ones back on because one has made new ones. Reiterate, in our common stability, security, and prosperity, pakistan and the United States have much to gain working together. I thank you for your attention and