NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani met his counterparts from different countries including Cuba, Malta and Belarus on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly session and agreed to expand bilateral relations.
The foreign minister met his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parilla and agreed on to enhance bilateral relations in areas of trade, biotechnology, health, and education sectors. The two sides exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral, multilateral, and regional issues during the meeting
Jilani said Pakistan and Cuba enjoy excellent relations marked by common views on various regional and international issues. He lauded the close cooperation between the two sides at multilateral fora, particularly the UN, NAM, and G-77& China.
The foreign minister reiterated the heartfelt gratitude of the people of Pakistan for the medical assistance extended by Cuba in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan in 2005.
He recalled that Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla, who was then Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba, stayed for more than six months in Pakistan.
FM Jilani expressed Pakistan’s support to Cuba during its Chairmanship of the G-77& China for the year 2023 and congratulated the Cuban Foreign Minister on the successful organization of the G-77+China Summit held in Havana, on 15-16 September 2023.
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Pakistan-Malta cooperation
In a separate meeting, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani met his Maltese counterpart Dr Ian Borg and discussed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as multilateral issues.
Pakistan and Malta agreed to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation in multiple sectors incluidng information technology, pharmaceuticals, health and startups. The bilateral ties were discussed in a meeting between
Both sides underscored the need to expand bilateral ties in all fields including political, economic, trade and investment. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhance trade and economic ties and to revive Pakistan-Malta Joint Technical Commission.
The foreign minister thanked the Maltese side for providing opportunities for Pakistani workers while expressing hope that the cooperation in the important sector of labour mobility would be further strengthened in the months to come. They also exchanged views on issues of regional and global importance.
Pakistan-Belarus ties
Foreign Minister Jilani also met his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Aleinik and affirmed commitment to advance and strengthen the diplomatic ties.
The two Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, including a review of the progress made in implementing the agreements reached during the 6th Session of the Pakistan-Belarus Joint Economic Commission in January 2023.
Both parties expressed their commitment to enhancing collaboration within international and regional organizations. In this regard, Foreign Minister Aleinik extended gratitude for Pakistan’s support of Belarus’s bid for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
