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Afghanistan can be the Switzerland of South Asia: Kux

Rasheed KhalidSaturday
Sunday, 20-November-2011
Dennis Kux

 

Former US ambassador Dennis Kux has said that Afghanistan could be the Switzerland of South Asia, which was created by Congress of Vienna, having good relations with not only its neighbors but also all countries.

He was addressing a ‘Roundtable Discussion on US Policy towards South Asia’ organized by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) in collaboration with the US Embassy at the National Library here on Thursday.

Kux said that Switzerland has good relations with all countries in the region. He noted that the world is observing 200th anniversary of Congress of Vienna four years later.

Answering a question, Kux said that stable Afghanistan and Pakistan are in US interest and we are pursuing this goal. He told a questioner that you cannot and do not have to change India-centric policy but do not have agreements with bad guys. He said that India and Pakistan cannot change history but can move on.

Earlier, in his talk, the ambassador said that US is helping Pakistan and does not want its destabilisation. He said that power is scattered in Afghanistan. He also talked about ties between regional countries of South and Central Asia especially TAPI oil pipeline which is in the interest of the region and all countries will be better off with it. He said, we never wanted a base back in Afghanistan but the situation there is not conducive.

Kux said that Republican administrations traditionally had been more pro-Pakistan but a Republican President George W Bush had asked why we are ignoring India, which is a great country of one billion people and the biggest democracy in the world. He said that it is not possible for US to change Pakistan’s India-centric attitude though Islamabad can improve relations with New Delhi on its own. He also talked about the book he is writing.

He said that Indo-US deal is against Non-Proliferation Treaty, which does not allow such an arrangement with non-nuclear countries. He warned that we have to be careful and the Indo-Afghan strategic cooperation is a mistake.

He said that Republicans now control the House of Representatives and its foreign relations committee chief is calling to cut off aid to Pakistan.

He said that Taliban attacking Pakistan is bad guys but are tough fighters.

Answering a question, ambassador Kux dispelled the impression that India was intervening in Balochistan.

Ali Sarwar Naqvi, Executive Director of ICSS, welcomed and later thanked the speaker and the participants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

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