Islamabad: According to the media, Pakistan has chosen not to participate in the democracy conference taking place in Washington this week, preferring instead to work bilaterally with the US to promote democratic norms.
It has been debated for a while whether Pakistan should attend the Second Summit for Democracy in the US, especially given the possibility that it may enrage its "all-weather friend" China. Turkiye and China have not been invited to the summit, as reported by the media.
The decision had been difficult because Pakistan had to weigh the benefits of participation against the potential risks to its diplomatic relationships. China will closely monitor these proposals as the United States has already irked Beijing by inviting Taiwan, China’s long standing arch rival.
The decision to exclude Turkiye from the summit, according to the media report, was another cause for worry in Pakistan. According to a statement from the Foreign Office, Pakistan values its friendship with the United States.
The statement said, “Under the Biden administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.”
The Foreign Office stated that Pakistan had not been a part of the summit process that started in 2021 and required the countries to fulfil certain national commitments in order to justify not participating in the summit.
Pakistan said, “The Summit process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption.”