Press Release
Meeting with H.E Bernhard Schlagheck,
Ambassador, Federal Republic of Germany
March 11, 2021
The Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Islamabad hosted a meeting with the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E Bernhard Schlagheck on March 11, 2021. Director General ISSI, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry briefed the ambassador on the work being done by the Institute and the five Centres of Excellence established at ISSI.
Ambassador Schlagheck said that he was keen to deepen his engagement with Pakistan and said that the Embassy will be celebrating seventy years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Pakistan in October 2021. He also raised a number of questions with regard to Pakistan’s perceptions on the Indo-Pacific strategy, its shift from geopolitics to geo-economics and the rationale behind the new approach being adopted by Pakistan, the ceasefire on the Line of Control with India and the peace process in Afghanistan.
Responding to queries by Ambassador Schlagheck, Ambassador Chaudhry explained Pakistan’s narrative on geo-economics and said that Pakistan wants to become a conduit for trade and regional connectivity. With regard to Afghanistan he said that Pakistan wants a stable and peaceful Afghanistan and peace in Afghanistan remains an important priority for Pakistan. Concerning India, he explained that the present Modi regime in India is averse to peace and is working on its agenda of creating a Hindu Rashtra. The meeting was attended by all the Directors of the five Centres of Excellence at ISSI.
