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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday met with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and exchanged views on the latest developments in the Afghan peace process and withdrawal of international troops.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Qureshi congratulated his Turkish counterpart on successfully organising the forum attended by high-level global leaders. He noted that the forum provided an excellent opportunity to discuss and engage on various contemporary global issues.
While taking note of the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, the two sides discussed the ongoing preparations for the 7th Session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to be held in Turkey this year.
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Foreign Minister Qureshi lauded Turkey’s valuable efforts and its outreach to various Afghan parties. Underscoring Pakistan’s abiding interest in a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, Qureshi illustrated Pakistan’s consistent efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.
He expressed hope that Afghan parties would seize the opportunity and work out an inclusive politically negotiated settlement.
This was Qureshi’s third visit to Turkey in three months on the invitation of Foreign Minister Çavusoglu. The frequency of high-level interaction between the two sides reflects the strength of the bilateral relationship.
Efforts a must to counter Islamophobia
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for joint efforts to counter the growing tendency of Islamophobia and religious biases in different parts of the world.
The foreign minister had an informal meeting with Secretary-General Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Dr Hadi Soleimanpour.
He said that being a founding ECO member, Pakistan was committed to regional integration and connectivity.
The meeting discussed Pakistan’s vibrant role in ECO, promotion of trade among member countries and other matters of mutual interests.
The foreign minister said that in light of ECO framework, Pakistan was making sincere efforts to promote mutual trade, economic development and regional peace and stability. He also called for continuous cooperation to achieve durable peace, development and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
The ECO secretary general appreciated Pakistan’s active role in the organization as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s participation in the virtually held summit in March this year.
