Inaugural message at the 4th session of Indonesia – Pakistan Economic and Cultural Cooperation (IPECC) on May 29, 1972

It gives me great pleasure to extend, on behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan and on my own behalf, a very warm and cordial welcome to His Excellency Dr. Adam Malik, Foreign Minister of Indonesia and his distinguished colleagues who have come to Islamabad for the fourth session of the IPECC Ministerial Council. I hope that their stay in Pakistan will be enjoyable and fruitful.

Indonesia and Pakistan are bound together in deep historical, cultural and religious ties. Peoples of our two countries have profound brotherly feelings towards each other which have been reflected in the past in a strong desire for establishing closer economic and Cultural cooperation between us. The establishment of Indonesia-Pakistan Economic and Cultural Cooperation organization (IPECC) in 1965 was indeed an attempt to provide an institutional framework for accelerating economic and cultural cooperation between our two countries for the common good of our peoples. The pace of this cooperation has remained somewhat slow in the past years. This really indicates that we should work together with renewed vigor to consolidate and further expand economic cooperation in areas which have will respond positively and constructively to any proposal which may lead to establishing a strong basis for fruit full economic collaboration between Indonesia and Pakistan.

We have recently gone through a traumatic experience of foreign aggression against he sovereignty and integrity of our country. The political and economic consequences of this reprehensible development have been most grievous. We have been trying with single-minded devotion and determination to recover the lost ground and establish a viable political and economic system in the country. In the political field, we have already established democratic institutions and the Governments both at the Centre and Provinces are constituted by the elected representatives of the people. The National Assembly of Pakistan unanimously adopted an Interim Constitution comprising all shades of political opinion in the country is presently working to prepare a permanent constitution for the country. In the economic field, my Government has initiated a series of policy measures to evolve an egalitarian society. Basic revolutionary reforms have been introduced in the fields of agriculture, education, industry, health and labor, and all these reforms are intended to improve the physical, cultural and economic life of the common man in Pakistan. We are determined to build a strong and prosperous Pakistan in which everyone can share the fruits of economic development.

I am glad that Indonesia has consolidated and strengthened its economic position in recent years and is well on its way to establishing conditions of general economic welfare under the inspiring leadership of president Suharto. I wish to congratulate President Suharto, his Government and the Indonesian people for overcoming initial political and economic difficulties with dedication and determination. We rejoice in the prosperity and welfare of our brothers in Indonesia.

I am confident that the fourth session of IPECC Ministerial Council will be able to take a fresh look on the progress of economic and cultural cooperation between Indonesia and Pakistan and will take appropriate decisions which will lead to early realization of the full potential economic and cultural cooperation between our two countries.

I wish the Council all success in its deliberations.