ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Turkey to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The foreign minister was received by the Deputy Governor of Antalya, Pakistan’s ambassador Cyrus Qazi and senior officials of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two-day event is being held in the Turkish city of Antalya and will be attended by 12 heads of state, 43 foreign ministers, representatives of international organisations, intellectuals and academics. Many global issues and opportunities for regional peace would be discussed at the forum.
FM Qureshi will participate in a panel discussion on ‘Regional Cooperation in Asia’ along with other foreign ministers from the region and highlight Pakistan’s vision for regional cooperation, economic development and connectivity, the Foreign Office statement said.
On the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, the Foreign Minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts and key regional and international partners, it added.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum will feature high-level participation of political leaders, diplomats, thinkers, and academia for discussion on important thematic and international issues. The theme of the Forum is ‘Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches’.
Pakistan supports partnership in trade, connectivity and economic development, based on mutual trust and shared agenda, through regional collaboration and multilateral cooperation, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held an informal meeting with Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum
Both the foreign ministers exchanged greetings and viewed that the Diplomacy Forum was vital to promote regional connectivity and lauded Turkish government’s efforts in this regard.
