Brussels, Nov 08 (Only Kashmir):The European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) organized a thought-provoking and well-attended day-long Seminar, ‘CPEC – East India Company Mark 2?’, in the European Parliament on 7 November 2018.The Seminar was organized under the aegis of Member European Parliament (MEP) Mr. Jonathan Bullock. The event tackled the topic of the building of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and discussed the interrelated legal, geo-strategic, economic and environmental issues, which directly impact the stability of South Asia.
Mr. Junaid Qureshi, Director EFSAS, chaired the Seminar and gave a profound insight on the objectives of EFSAS while also giving an introduction to the topic, especially in regard to CPEC’s disastrous effects on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir. The Seminar was officially opened by Mr. Jonathon Bullock, MEP, Member of the Committees on Budgetary Control and Industry, Research and Energy.
Besides others, Mr. Geoffrey van Orden, MEP, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with India and Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Terrorism, Dr. Paul Stott, Lecturer at the University of Leicester and in the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London and EFSAS Research Fellow,
Dr. Matthew McCartney, Director of the South Asia Program and Professor in the Political Economy and Human Development of India at Oxford University, Dr. DorothéeVandamme, Research Associate at the University of Louvain, Centre for the Study of Crises and International Conflicts and the Genesys Network and EFSAS Research Fellow, Mr. Fernando Burges, Programme Manager at the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), Mr. BurzineWaghmar, Member of SOAS, University of London, Centre for the Study ofPakistan, Centre for Iranian Studies, and London Middle East Institute and EFSAS Research Fellow also spoke on the occasion.
The event was followed by a Q&A sessionduring which the audience and speakers engaged in a debate on issues pertaining to CPEC, Geo-Politics and Chinese expansionist designs as well as the issue of Jammu & Kashmir and the fact that such Chinese intrusions will only jeopardize any possible solution to this long-standing conflict.
The Seminar was attended by MEPs, Policy Advisors, Terrorism Experts, Security Officials, Government Agencies, Human Rights Activists, Scholars, Academicians and Students from all over Europe who also activelyparticipated in the discussions during the networking reception held afterwards.
