Qureshi stresses engagement with Afghanistan in meetings with Turkish, Saudi counterparts

UNITED NATIONS, UNITED STATES: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday stressed sustained and positive engagement of the international community with the newly-established government in Afghanistan, as he met his Turkish and Saudi counterparts.

Pakistan has time and again called on the international community to help the Afghans and unfreeze the country’s assets abroad after the Taliban took over the country in mid-August in a lightning sweep.

The foreign minister met both of his counterparts, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In his meeting with Çavuşoğlu, the foreign minister highlighted the need for sustained international engagement to support lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

In addition to calling for the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, the foreign minister underscored the need for a coordinated approach to avert an economic collapse in Afghanistan.

He also highlighted that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will contribute towards the promotion of connectivity and regional prosperity.

The two foreign ministers reviewed their close bilateral relations and discussed steps to further enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey in all areas.

FM Qureshi thanked Çavuşoğlu for the support extended by the government and people of Turkey to the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, especially by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, including in his address to the UNGA session this year.

Qureshi discusses Kashmir, Afghan issues with Saudi FM

Similarly, in his meeting with the Saudi foreign minister, FM Qureshi stressed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of crucial importance for Pakistan and the region.

He added that sustained and positive engagement of the international community was critical for preventing a humanitarian crisis, averting an economic collapse, and supporting long-term development and stability in Afghanistan.

The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction at the close cooperation between the two fraternal countries in all spheres including at the United Nations.

FM Qureshi underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historic and deep-rooted fraternal ties which have stood the test of time.

Recalling the visit of the Saudi foreign minister to Pakistan in July, Qureshi stressed the importance of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries to enhance the growing momentum in bilateral relations.

The foreign minister also apprised his counterpart of the ongoing human rights violations and illegal demographic changes in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

The two foreign ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in diverse fields and continue close collaboration on all issues of mutual interest.