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The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process 7Th Ministerial Conference 1St December, 2017

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The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process 7Th Ministerial Conference 1St December, 2017 The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process 7th Ministerial Conference 1st December, 2017 Baku Declaration “Security & Economic Connectivity Towards A Strengthened Heart of Asia Region” 1. We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and high-level representatives of the participating and supporting countries, joined by high level representatives of the international and regional organizations, have met in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 1st December 2017 at our Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process (HoA-IP). The Conference was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and H.E. Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 2. We express our gratitude to H.E. Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and H.E. Mr. Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for inaugurating the Seventh Ministerial Conference. 3. We recall the six Ministerial Conferences in Istanbul (2011), Kabul (2012), Almaty (2013), Beijing (2014), Islamabad (2015) and Amritsar (2016) and we reaffirm our commitment to the principles, objectives, and outcomes enshrined in the Declarations of these Conferences that have defined the ideals for the working of the HoA-IP and its overarching goal of promoting peace and prosperity in the Heart of Asia region. 4. We reaffirm that the HoA-IP is a unique and important platform for enhancing dialogue and building trust among regional countries. The HoA-IP promotes regional political, security and economic cooperation with the goal of building peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and the entire region. 1 5. We stress the need to advance regional cooperation as an effective and necessary means to address common challenges and to promote security, stability and socio- economic development in the Heart of Asia region. To this common end, we renew our commitment to strengthening enhanced cooperation among participating countries in a sincere and effective manner. 6. We reaffirm our commitment to the United Nations Charter and its enshrined principles of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders, sovereign equality of nations and non- intervention in the internal affairs of other states as well as universally recognized principles and norms of international law. Furthermore, we reaffirm our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We reiterate the importance of increased political dialogue and consultation between the countries comprising the Heart of Asia for a stable, peaceful and prosperous region. 7. We reiterate the obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the political independence, territorial integrity, or sovereignty of any state. We reaffirm our commitment to develop friendly relations among HoA countries based on good neighborly relations, peaceful co-existence, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. 8. We reaffirm our appreciation and express strong and unequivocal support for the ongoing constructive efforts and commitments of the Government of Afghanistan to promote regional connectivity and the development of infrastructure links as well as building an environment of increased trust. 9. We recognize the need to strengthen trust and cooperation in the region in order to meaningfully promote the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan and its surrounding region. We agree to actively participate in a process of continuous and effective dialogue between Afghanistan and its near and extended neighbours concerning all issues of common interest and importance for Afghanistan and the region as a whole. 2 Fight Against Terrorism 10. We recognize terrorism, violent extremism conducive to terrorism, extremism, radicalization, separatism and sectarianism, and linkages among them, as the gravest challenges to the peace, security and economic development of Afghanistan, the Heart of Asia region and the international state system in general. 11. We reaffirm that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. 12. The fight against terrorism is a major priority for all Heart of Asia countries and we reiterate our resolve to work together to prevent and suppress terrorist acts through increased regional solidarity and cooperation, in accordance with the UN Charter and obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law as applicable and international humanitarian law, as well as through the full implementation of the relevant international conventions, the UN Security Council Resolutions and the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. We express our readiness to work with the newly-established United Nations Office on Counter Terrorism to prevent, suppress and eradicate terrorism in the Heart of Asia region, in accordance with the UNGA Resolution 21/79. 13. We strongly call for concerted regional and international cooperation to ensure elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including dismantling of terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens, preventing and interdicting the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups, including foreign terrorist fighters, across the countries of the Heart of Asia region, as well as disrupting all financial, tactical, logistical or any other support for terrorism without any distincition. In this regard, we call upon all states to take action against these terrorist entities in accordance with their respective national counter-terrorism policies, their international obligations and the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. 14. We reaffirm our recognition made in Islamabad in the 5th HoA-IP Ministerial Conference that violent extremism conducive to terrorism facilitates, encourages, incites and justifies acts of terrorism and violence and we are committed to take all relevant measures and cooperate to prevent and counter terrorism. We recognize the 3 necessity of taking serious measures to address radicalization and recruitment of youth by terrorist networks and their supporters. We realize that the radicalization of elements of the population, especially youth, can only be prevented by effective de-radicalization and counter-radicalization strategies involving all the Heart of Asia countries. We commit to learning from and applying lessons learned in de- radicalization and counter-radicalization by individual Heart of Asia countries. 15. In recognition of the Heart of Asia as a regional platform for addressing regional threats, we believe that a concerted and coherent regional approach is required to combat the menace of terrorism, extremism and violence. We welcome the first expert meeting on the draft of the regional counter-terrorism strategy held on the 20th of September on the margin of the 72nd session of the UNGA, following the decisions taken by the HoA-IP Ministerial Conferences in Islamabad and Amritsar. We agree to continue the expert meetings to discuss the key elements of the proposed draft framework of the strategy and present the recommendations to the Senior Officials Meeting of the HoA-IP. 16. We remain gravely concerned by the high level of violence in Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region by the Taliban and all terrorist groups including those referenced in the previous HoA Declarations of 2015 and 2016. Having a symbiotic relationship with organized crime, these terrorist groups continue to pose grave threats to the security and stability of our nations, violating the sovereignty and security of our countries with impacts on the political and geo-political situation in our region. We further call on the Counter Terrorism CBM’s Regional Technical Group to finalize an agreed consolidated list of terrorist groups that threaten the peace and security of Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region and to elaborate ways and methodologies for fighting them through a joint effort. While Afghanistan continues to fight at the forefront of the war against these terrorist groups, the HoA- IP participating countries support the efforts of the government of Afghanistan towards peace and reconciliation with the Afghan Taliban and its fight against terrorist groups. 17. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks throughout this year in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and elsewhere in the region which took the lives 4 of hundreds of innocent people, including the 11th January Kandahar, the 31st May Kabul and the 7th November Jalalabad attacks against the diplomatic community, causing hundreds of injuries and the destruction of public and private properties. 18. We commend the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) in fighting terrorist groups including Daesh/ISIL in Afghanistan and for their brave role in ensuring peace and security in that country. We welcome the agreements between the International Community and the Government of Afghanistan that provide for continued financial and military-technical support and assistance to the ANDSF until 2020, as well as the training, advice and assistance provided to them by the post-ISAF Mission to achieve long-term, sustainable security and stability in Afghanistan. We also pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the ANDSF and international forces. Narcotics & Organized Crime 19. We are concerned about this year’s drastic increase in illicit cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan,
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