Poland assures ‘full support’ to evacuate Pakistanis stranded in Ukraine

FM Qureshi discusses Ukraine crisis with his Polish counterpart, urges diplomacy to resolve dispute

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau on Monday and discussed bilateral ties as well as the evacuation of stranded Pakistanis from war-hit Ukraine.

The two sides exchanged views on Pakistan-Poland relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

FM Qureshi “highly appreciated” the Polish side for receiving Pakistani students and the community being evacuated from Ukraine.

He added that Pakistan looked forward to continued assistance from the Polish government during this difficult period.

The Polish foreign minister assured of Poland’s full support and facilitation in the evacuation process.

Also read: Large number of Pakistanis evacuated from war-hit Ukraine

So far, 606 Pakistani including students have been safely evacuated to Poland from Ukraine.

Recalling his earlier phone conversation with the Polish foreign minister last September, Qureshi said that Pakistan had close ties with Poland and remained committed to further enhance them across all areas of mutual benefit.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, FM Qureshi expressed Pakistan’s serious concern and underscored Pakistan’s belief that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

The foreign minister noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan in his recent visit to Moscow had regretted the situation and had hoped that diplomacy could avert a military conflict.

The prime minister had further stated that conflict was not in anyone’s interest and that the developing countries were always hit the hardest economically.

Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s strong emphasis on de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. The two ministers agreed to remain in close contact.