Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi held separate meetings on Wednesday with his Chinese, Russian and Iranian counterparts and discussed with them a range of issues, including the current situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The meetings were held in China where Qureshi is attending a meeting of top diplomats from Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, the Foreign Office said. This was the third meeting of the group after the inaugural session in Afghanistan and another meeting in Iran.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in Tunxi.#APPNews #Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Russia 🇷🇺 #China 🇨🇳@SMQureshiPTI pic.twitter.com/Pnu65nVMGH
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According to the Foreign Office, Qureshi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, reviewed bilateral ties and exchanged views on the regional situation in the context of the discussions held during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Moscow and their own telephone conversation earlier this month.
On the occasion, Qureshi shared Pakistan’s principled position on the situation in Ukraine, including cessation of hostilities, provision of humanitarian assistance, and efforts for a solution through dialogue and diplomacy.
He expressed the hope that talks between Russia and Ukraine would succeed in finding a diplomatic solution. The foreign minister also conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to reinforce efforts for a diplomatic solution including through the OIC platform, the Foreign Office added.
Qureshi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also had a bilateral meeting in Tunxi District of Huangshan. The two foreign ministers exchanged views on bilateral strategic, economic and security cooperation; Covid-19 pandemic; peace, stability and development in Afghanistan; and regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Office statement said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi stressed that the relations with China were the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to further deepen the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
Read more Qureshi arrives in China for ministerial moot on Afghanistan
He reiterated Pakistan’s firm adherence to the “One-China” policy and continued support on issues of China’s core interests. He thanked China for its consistent support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, political stability and socio-economic development.
Recalling the recent high-level exchanges between the two sides, including the Prime Minister’s visit to China in February, and Foreign Minister Wang’s visit to Islamabad to attend the OIC-Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Qureshi expressed satisfaction at the steady upward trajectory of the bilateral ties.
He highlighted that the leaders’ consensus was translating into high-quality development of CPEC Phase-II, and burgeoning cooperation in diverse areas of cooperation, like industrial development, agricultural modernisation and information technology.
The foreign minister also thanked China for hosting the meetings on Afghanistan. He emphasised deeper engagement between Pakistan and China, as well as Afghanistan’s other neighbours, to promote peace, stability and development in the country and facilitate regional connectivity through extension of CPEC to Afghanistan.
The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. Highlighting Pakistan’s position calling for immediate cessation of hostility, provision of humanitarian assistance and continued efforts for a solution through dialogue and diplomacy, the foreign minister conveyed readiness to help facilitate a diplomatic solution including through OIC platform.
Also read World should acknowledge Pakistan's efforts for regional peace: China
Meanwhile, during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all areas and underscored the importance of early completion of border markets.
During the meeting, the two foreign ministers had a comprehensive review of bilateral relations and the regional situation. Qureshi briefed Abdollahian on the unprovoked violation of Pakistan’s airspace by an Indian supersonic missile, underlining that such actions were fraught with grave implications and represented a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
FM reaffirms Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with Iran #APPNews @SMQureshiPTI @TeamSMQ @ForeignOfficePk @PakinIran @IRIMFA_EN @IraninIslamabad https://t.co/1g3wRK1DMa via @appcsocialmedia pic.twitter.com/aKHFKaxWQe
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On the situation in Afghanistan, the foreign minister highlighted that as neighbours, Pakistan and Iran had been closely coordinating. Pakistan would continue to play its role for political and economic stability of Afghanistan, which would ultimately benefit the entire region, he added.
Qureshi expressed the hope that the Joint Economic Commission session would be held at the earliest to boost trade and economic collaboration. He expressed satisfaction on the facilitative movement of trucks under the TIR, which would further strengthen economic linkages in the region.
Qureshi appreciated Iran’s steadfast support for the Kashmir cause, especially at the Supreme Leader level. Dr Abdollahian reaffirmed Iran’s desire to further strengthen fraternal ties in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation. He also extended an invitation to the foreign minister to visit Iran to carry forward the process of expansion of bilateral relations.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)
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