MADRID: After completing a two-day visit to Spain, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi returned to Islamabad on Wednesday. Shujaat Rathor, Pakistan’s ambassador in Spain, and Manuel Durn Gimnez-Rico, Spain’s envoy in Islamabad, as well as top foreign ministry officials, greeted the foreign minister at Adolfo Surez Madrid-Barajas Airport.
The foreign minister was invited to Spain by his Spanish equal, Jose Manuel Albares. Mr Qureshi met with his counterpart, the presidents of Spain’s Congress of Deputies and Foreign Relations Committee, the Spanish trade minister, and members of the Spanish parliament during his visit.
During his meeting with his Spanish colleague on Tuesday, Mr Qureshi encouraged the Spanish government to reconsider the Pakistan travel advisory, considering the significant improvement in law and order. He spoke on bilateral ties, diversified cooperation in commerce, investment, and tourism, as well as regional and global issues.
Besides delivering a joint news conference with his colleague, the foreign minister spoke with think tanks and journalists, informing them of the visit’s goals of boosting bilateral ties and the regional situation. Over 125,000 Pakistani ex-pats in Spain, according to the foreign ministry, have contributed to the improvement of bilateral relations.
He stated that due to the lack of a dual citizenship agreement between Pakistan and Spain, Pakistani people residing in Spain were required by Spanish regulations to renounce their Pakistani citizenship.
He expressed his hope that the Spanish government would sincerely consider resolving the situation that Pakistani citizens are facing.
According to the foreign minister, Pakistan, with a population of 200 million people, is an appealing market for foreign investment in the textile, housing, construction, pharmaceutical, renewable energy, agricultural, and sports industries.
He stated Spain was one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners, with a trading volume of $1.3 billion.
When discussing the situation in Afghanistan, the foreign minister urged the EU to take a constructive role in preventing a humanitarian disaster in the war-torn nation.
Concerning the situation in India-occupied Kashmir, the foreign minister informed his counterpart of the risks to regional peace presented by Indian policy.
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