KARACHI, April 26: Recognising Pakistan’s “significant progress” in transition to democracy, the Australian government has welcomed Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s announcement of according priority to fight against terrorism and extremism.

Speaking at a seminar here on Saturday, Australian High Commissioner Ms Zorica McCarthy said her country was ready to assist Pakistan in this regard.

The seminar on “Australian Security Policy” held at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) was presided over by Fatehyab Ali Khan, chairman of the institute.

“We will be keen to see a comprehensive programme to address extremism which must also take into account the situation in Afghanistan,” she said, adding that her country was “actively exploring options for Australian support to communities and development in the border regions, especially FATA.”

She also reiterated her government’s firm commitment to contribute to long-term stability and development in Afghanistan. In this context, she referred to the strategy adopted for ISAF at the Nato summit in Bucharest for integrating military and non-military efforts, and said Australia recognised the importance of non-military efforts in securing stabilisation of gains in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan’s support for the international community’s efforts in Afghanistan is well-known and greatly valued,” she observed, and offered condolences for those military personnel who lost their lives fighting for security in the tribal areas.

She recalled that in 2005, the two governments had signed a memorandum of understanding on counter-terrorism cooperation which had provided an umbrella for Pakistan to provide assistance to Australia on matters pertaining to terrorism-related prosecutions in Australia. To enhance this cooperation, Australia was seeking to negotiate extradition and mutual assistance treaties, she said.

Spelling out three pillars of the Australian government’s foreign policy, she stated that security challenges to her country were similar to those faced by Pakistan and included terrorism, weak and failing states and mitigating climate change. “Countering WMD proliferation is also a high priority and challenge for Australia,” she added.

Ms McCarthy also spoke on Australia’s relations with the US, Japan, China, India, Indonesia and other countries. She said her country did not want to be part of any policy aimed at containment of China. “Australia is very comfortable with the rise of China,” she remarked.

On the bilateral front, the Australian envoy said that with the recent change of government in both Pakistan and Australia, there was impetus to re-energise bilateral relationship. “Pakistan’s transition to democracy is important not only for Pakistanis but for the whole world,” she observed.

The Australian envoy expressed her country’s desire to support the government of Pakistan in consolidating democracy, strengthening economy, providing better services to the people and ensuring peace and stability.

She pointed out that Australia had a growing community of Pakistani origin. “Some 17,000 Pakistanis now call Australia their home and in the last year alone, over 44,000 Pakistanis enrolled in Australian educational institutions.”

She said that development partnership was a core part of this relationship, and pointed out that Australia had also provided substantial disaster relief following the 2005 earthquake and more after recent floods in Sindh and Balochistan.

Australia has committed about $25 million in ODA to Pakistan this year for health, education and other sectors. She expected this figure would significantly increase in 2008-09 and beyond.