Beijing attending OIC moot to expand ties with Muslim world: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that Beijing is attending the 48th meeting of OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers for developing a partnership with the Muslim world besides promoting unity and cooperation for multilateralism.

The Chinese foreign minister, after his bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on Monday, told the media that the OIC CFM’s theme of “Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development” had great significance in the current scenario and was also the main reason of Chinese participation.

In what FM Qureshi called a “very comprehensive and detailed meeting,” the two foreign ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, regional situation as well as international issues including Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Qureshi told the media that it Is for the first time that the Chinese foreign minister would attend and address the CFM moot which is a “manifestation of the strong partnership between Pakistan and China”.

Earlier, both the countries also signed documents for enhancing cooperation in the fields of higher education and agriculture at a ceremony also witnessed by the two foreign ministers.

Qureshi said they also discussed the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

While discussing trade and investment cooperation, Qureshi said that China expressed the desire for the import of Pakistani rice and wheat.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the counter-terrorism cooperation and a coordinated approach to deal with the terrorist outfits including the ETIM and the TTP.

Wang Yi appreciated Pakistan’s steps for the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan and lauded the strict action against those involved in Dasu terrorist attack.

Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked China for supporting Pakistan in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and told the media that Chinese FM had assured the country of its constant support till its removal from the Grey List.

He also thanked China for giving a rollover of $2 billion to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to support Pakistan’s economy.

Wang Yi, who is on his first visit to Pakistan after Covid-19 pandemic, said China would expand its support to Pakistan in poverty reduction and modernising the agriculture sector for sustainable development.

He called for closer multilateral cooperation on regional and international issues including Afghanistan and Ukraine.

The foreign minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences to his Chinese counterpart on the loss of precious lives in the China Eastern flight crash earlier in the day.

Also read: Kashmir, Palestine top OIC FMs agenda

Qureshi appreciated tangible progress in deepening bilateral cooperation across all areas after the prime minister’s visit to China last month for the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

He added that the leaders’ consensus and vision for all-around upgrading of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, especially in terms of high-quality development of CPEC Phase-II, was rapidly becoming a reality with concerted efforts and follow-up by both sides.

The two sides discussed the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the need for a solution through sustained dialogue and diplomacy.

FM Qureshi briefed Wang Yi on India’s egregious human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and its irresponsible behaviour that is an impediment to regional peace and security.

He also apprised about the so-called “accidental” firing of a missile from India into Pakistan’s territory and underlined Pakistan’s call for a joint probe, and stressed the need to ensure that it does not occur again.

The two foreign ministers reaffirmed the resolve to sustain and build upon the current momentum of bilateral relations.