Switzerland’s prestigious institute of peace and security studies, the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations (GSD) has conferred the degree of Honorary Doctorate to Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on Tuesday.

Awarding the Honorary Doctorate, President of the GSD , Colum Murphy paid tributes to meritorious services of Foreign Minister Asif, as an elected parliamentarian for over two decades and as Member of the Federal Cabinets of Pakistan, holding important portfolios of Defence, Privatization, Energy, Water and Power and Foreign Affairs at various points of his illustrious career, foreign office said.
Besides the students and the faculty of the GSD, Ambassadors of Bhutan, Malaysia, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Syria Vietnam, as well as senior diplomats from a number of other countries also attended the event.
This honour has been accorded previously to leading international figures that includes among others, former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, President of Switzerland, Adolf Ogi, the President and Foreign Minister of Bosnia, Haris Sladjik, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Yang Jiechi and President of Timor Leste, Jose Ramon Horta.
In his address at the GSD on Pakistan’s Foreign Policy, Foreign Minister Asif noted that the present government in Pakistan had successfully steered the country on path of economic development by controlling the menace of terrorism and extremism, thereby creating climate for investment and business, and by enhancing regional connectivity through trans-boundary energy and infrastructure projects.
He outlined the challenges and the opportunities in Pakistan’s endeavour to create a peaceful neighbourhood, and in this context, highlighted the imperative of settling long standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Earlier today, the Foreign Minister also visited Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and witnessed the signing of an agreement between GCSP and Pakistan’s National Defence University (NDU). On behalf of the NDU, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Farukh Amil signed the agreement, which would provide for the enhancement of cooperative relationship between the two institutions.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif returned to Pakistan Tuesday
after completing his two-day visit to Geneva, as Head of Pakistani delegation to present Pakistan’s report of the 3rd Cycle of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Source: APP