Brussels: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan values Belgium as a close friend and an important trading partner.
The cooperation of the international community is essential to deal with the emerging humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, to prevent the potential threat of refugee displacement, and to keep Afghanistan safe from becoming a haven for terrorists again.
The Foreign Minister met with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sophie Williams at Egmont Palace, Brussels. During the meeting, all aspects of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Belgium were reviewed. The Foreign Minister thanked his Belgian counterpart Sufi Wilms for inviting him to visit Belgium. Citing a meeting on the sidelines of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in September and a telephone conversation in August, the Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan was a close friend of Belgium and a key trading partner. As a matter of value.
The Foreign Minister appreciated the significant increase in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Belgium and the growing bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan's commitment to promote trade and investment between Pakistan and Belgium. He said that Pakistan wishes to further strengthen the bilateral partnership with Belgium and expand cooperation in political, economic, trade, educational, scientific and multilateral fields.
Discussing the regional situation, the Foreign Minister said that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is of utmost importance not only for Pakistan but for the entire region. He said that the international community must make effective and serious efforts to overcome the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, revive the economy and bring lasting peace and stability. He said the cooperation of the international community was essential to tackle the emerging humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, prevent the potential threat of refugee migration, and keep Afghanistan safe from becoming a haven for terrorists again.
He said that Pakistan was hosting an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on December 19 to draw the attention of the international community to the deteriorating economic situation in Afghanistan. He apprised of the grave human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and the threats to peace in the region. He said that the ongoing human rights violations in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and denial of self-determination to the Kashmiri people were the biggest obstacles in normalizing relations between Pakistan and India. He said that in order to pave the way for any meaningful dialogue, the Government of India would have to reconsider its illegal and unilateral measures of August 5, 2019.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sufi Wilms expressed satisfaction over the positive developments in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Belgium. The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister thanked Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other Pakistani leaders for their support in the safe evacuation of diplomats, staff of international organizations and other foreigners from Kabul. He especially thanked Pakistan for its support in the successful conduct of Operation Red Kite, in which 1,400 people, including 201 Belgians, were safely evacuated from Afghanistan.
It should be noted that this is the first visit of a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Belgium after almost a decade. He said that the recent visit of the Foreign Minister is expected to further strengthen the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Belgium. The Foreign Minister extended an invitation to Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sufi Wilms to visit Pakistan, which he gladly accepted and thanked Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
0 Comments