EastWest Institute (EWI) is organising a series of high-level
consultations to address regional economic and security issues in
post-2014 Afghanistan, also known as the Abu Dhabi Process.

By convening the high-level representatives of governments,
parliaments and the private sector from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, China, the UAE, United
States and Europe, as well as from regional and international
organisations, EWI intends to identify and promote opportunities for
economic growth for both Afghanistan and the region. The first meeting,
held in April 2013 in Istanbul, encompassed infrastructure issues.

The focus of Islamabad meeting will be on Afghanistan’s
potential to act as a transit route for energy supplies from Central
Asia to energy markets in South Asia – a scenario with win-win
potentials for many stakeholders. The Islamabad meeting title
‘Afghanistan Reconnected: Linking energy suppliers to consumers in Asia’
will cover the topics like Energy Resources via Transit Corridors,
Energy Markets, Central Asia Energy Resources and Potential for Trade,
The Potential for Private Sector Engagement, Afghanistan as Energy
Importer and Producer, Afghanistan as Energy Transit Route – Views from
the Region, Expanding Regional Energy Trade – Global Views, Towards
Regional Co-operation for Energy Security and Prospects for 2014 and
Beyond. The UAE Embassy in Islamabad also hosted a reception in honour
of the participants of the Islamabad meeting on Monday.

High-level representatives will include Pakistan’s Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Chief Minister of
Punjab Shahbaz Sharif; Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security
and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Representatives from Afghanistan,
Central Asia, India, the UAE, Turkey, United States and the EU will draw
from their experience. The meeting will be conducted under the Chatham
House Rule with the participation of selected media.