PM Shehbaz, Iran's president discuss bilateral, regional cooperation

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting with President of Iran Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi wherein they discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international matters.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly here as the 193-member world body held a high-level debate on issues of global peace and security.

The prime minister was accompanied by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar and SAPM Tariq Fatemi.

Earlier, he also held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez.

Later, he is also scheduled to meet US Special Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry and visit ‘The Times Centre’ for an interview with the New York Times’ editorial board.

PM attends opening of UNGA high level general debate

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday attended the opening of high-level general debate of the 77th Session of UN General Assembly being held in the general assembly hall.

The prime minister will also spend a busy day in New York.

Earlier, the prime minister reached UN Headquarters to attend a welcome reception hosted by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for the Heads of States/Governments participating in the 77th Session of UN General Assembly (UNGA77).

During the reception, the prime minister interacted with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jecinda Ardern.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif interacts with Jecinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand at the welcoming reception by UN Secretary General for Heads of State/Government participating in the seventy-seventh session of UNGA. Newyork 20th September, 2022.

On the sidelines of the UNGA 77, the prime minister also interacted with French President Emmanuel Macron. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar also accompanied the prime minister.

Besides this, the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with President of the Republic of France Emmanuel Macron, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer, President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi.

In the afternoon, the prime minister will visit ‘The Times Centre’ for an interview with the New York Time’s editorial board.

In the evening, the prime minister will be called on by John Kerry, US Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Also meets Austrian Chancellor

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with Chancellor of Austria,H.E Karl Nehammer on the sidelines of the 77th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, today. During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations andexchanged views on regional issues of common interest. 

The Prime Minister highlighted the immense devastation caused by the unprecedented climate-induced floods in Pakistan and the government’s actions to address the colossal challenge.

The Prime Minister thanked the Austrian government for its expression of solidarity with the affected people and for extending flood relief assistance.

The Prime Minister stressed that Pakistan had become a major victim of the adverse impacts of climate change, while its contribution to global carbon emissions was less than 1%. He added that collective action by the world community to meaningfully and substantially address the climate challenge was imperative.

In the bilateral context, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan viewed Austria as an important country and a key member of the European Union. The Prime Minister underscored that the Austrian Foreign Minister’s visit to Pakistan in March 2022 imparted a strong momentum to bilateral exchanges and growing cooperation.

The Prime Minister added that Pakistan and Austriaenjoyed long-standing, cooperative relations and there was a huge potential for enhancing mutually beneficial collaboration in diverse areas, particularly energy, IT, higher education, and climate change.

The Prime Minister thanked Austria for its steadfast support for the GSP+ scheme, stressing that this mutually-beneficial arrangement had yielded positive results for both sides.

The Prime Minister invited Chancellor Nehammer to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience to further carry forward the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Austria relations.

SOURCE: APP