Islamabad, 12 Oct 2023:The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a press briefing highlighting the involvement of Pakistan in various international interactions and expressing its stance on ongoing global and regional issues. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani recently partook in the 27th Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), emphasizing the significance of a collective regional effort toward economic growth and green transition. Concurrently, international relations see a confluence of cooperation and concern, with an official visit from an OIC Special Envoy amidst escalating tensions in Kashmir and Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s upcoming visit to China in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative.
In the ECO meeting, held from 9-10 October 2023, and chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, Jilani spotlighted the pivotal role of cooperation among member states in domains like trade, investment, tourism, and infrastructure. The Foreign Minister highlighted the substantial yet untapped economic potential of the ECO region and expressed an urgent need to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute for the collective peace and prosperity of the involved regions. Bilateral meetings with Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Uzbekistan were conducted on the meeting’s sidelines, where the expansion of trade and connectivity in the ECO region was discussed.
In a significant parallel development, Yousef Aldobeay, the Assistant Secretary General (Political) and Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is currently on an official visit to Pakistan. Aligning with the March 2022 Action Plan from the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, Aldobeay is set to meet with Prime Minister Kakar and Foreign Minister Jilani, as well as undertaking a visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The visits aim to gather firsthand information on the region’s status quo and report the observations to the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the force utilized by Israeli authorities against the civilian population in Gaza, urging an immediate cessation of hostilities and calling on international intervention to facilitate a ceasefire. Pakistan pressed for an urgent, comprehensive, and lasting two-state solution, which establishes a viable State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as pivotal for sustainable peace in the Middle East.
Lastly, a visit by Prime Minister Kakar to China, scheduled from 17-18 October 2023, seeks to further bolster bilateral relations, especially in light of the decade-long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Kakar will partake in the Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, hold meetings with President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese leaders, and engage with Chinese entrepreneurs to enhance bilateral trade and investment. The Prime Minister’s visit is envisioned to strengthen the collaborative spirit, emphasizing the high-quality development of the CPEC.