Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels today and discusses the impending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Qureshi urged the world to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the country. The meeting between the two officials took place at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Pakistan was desirous of resolving all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through dialogue, FM Qureshi said during the meeting.
The two discussed bilateral cooperation, the emerging situation in Afghanistan as well as other matters of mutual interest including the situation in the region.
Referring to his June 2019 meeting with the NATO secretary-general, the foreign minister said that high-level political and military contacts have played important role in the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in matters of mutual interest.
Foreign Minister Qureshi, reiterating Pakistan’s strong commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan, expressed concern over the fast-evolving humanitarian crisis in the neighbouring country.
He said there was a need for the international community to make serious efforts to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
FM Qureshi said that the cooperation of the international community with the Taliban was essential to check the possibility of people’s migration from Afghanistan and saving the country from becoming again a safe haven of terrorists and the hub of narcotics.
He said that Pakistan was hosting an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on December 19 to attract the attention of the international community towards the emerging humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Secretary-General Jen Stoltenberg appreciated Pakistan’s support for NATO during its two decades’ long presence in Afghanistan.
FM Qureshi discusses bilateral ties with EU high representative for foreign affairs
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi called upon the world community to take prompt measures to help Afghanistan emerge out of its humanitarian and economic crises.
FM Qureshi and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Vice President Josep Borrel co-chaired the 6th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue here on Tuesday.
During the strategic dialogue, multi-dimensional bilateral relations between Pakistan and the European Union were discussed in detail.
Implementation of the project of strategic partnership agreed between Pakistan and the EU was also reviewed during the dialogue.
Besides discussing in detail bilateral trade, investment and other related matters, the two sides also exchanged views about the matters concerning regional peace and stability including the situation in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan desired to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Pakistan-EU friendship jointly in Islamabad.
