FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi to leave for two-day Turkey trip

According to the Ministry of Foreign affairs, During the visit, the Foreign Minister will have bilateral talks with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. He will also participate in a trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan.

During the bilateral talks, the two Foreign Ministers will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and discuss preparations for the 7th Session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which will be held in Turkey this year. The two sides will also discuss the regional security situation.

In the trilateral meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister will discuss the latest developments in the Afghan peace process, exchange views on achieving the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process and highlight Pakistan’s valuable efforts towards this end.

The Foreign Minister Qureshi’s visit to Turkey is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu visited Pakistan in January 2021 and the two Foreign Ministers also met on 29 March 2021 on the sidelines of the 9th session of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Earlier, Foreign Minister during his official visit to Tehran from 20-22 April 2021 held delegation-level talks with Iran Foreign Minister Dr Javad Zarif in Tehran.

During the discussion, the two Foreign Ministers reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, highlighting the commonality of views on important regional and international issues.

Foreign Minister Qureshi reaffirmed the resolve to enhance bilateral relations in all areas to the mutual advantage of both countries.

The Foreign Minister underlined that vast potential existed which could be tapped to further strengthen trade and economic relations. He called for regular exchanges of relevant mechanisms to tap their true potential.

Shah Mahmood expressed satisfaction over the close coordination at the multilateral fora on issues of common interest.

Drawing attention to the human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed gratitude for Iran’s steadfast and vocal support to the Kashmiris, especially at the highest level.

Foreign Minister Qureshi also discussed the regional security situation with a particular focus on the latest developments in the Afghan Peace Process. Reaffirming Pakistan’s consistent support to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister highlighted the convergence of views between Pakistan and Iran on the shared objective of an inclusive politically negotiated settlement.

The Foreign Minister briefed Foreign Minister Zarif on Pakistan’s initiative to combat Islamophobia and thanked Iran’s support in this regard. It was agreed that the two countries would continue to collaborate closely to counter the rising trend of Islamophobia.

Before the delegation-level talks, the two Foreign Ministers signed MoU on the Establishment of Border Sustenance Marketplaces. Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked for Iran’s support to border markets, which will help the local population on both sides by providing them with formal means to engage in mutually beneficial commerce.

The opening of the international border crossing point at Mand-Pishin was also highlighted as a step towards facilitating people on both sides of the Pakistan-Iran border.