FM meets US, Chinese, Saudi ambassadors

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, had meetings with the US, Saudi Arabia and Chinese ambassadors separately in a row on Friday in his Foreign Office chamber.

Senator Dar would be proceeding to Kazakhstan next week along with the prime minister for attending Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of state meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan slated for July 3-4.

Diplomatic sources told The News that some diplomatic engagements would be taking place on the sidelines of Astana meeting.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are attending first international gathering after their election for the current stint where Chinese and Russian presidents would also be present.

The sources indicated that international community is keen for a thaw in strained ties of Islamabad and New Delhi. The efforts are afoot that the Astana meeting should play a role between the two, beyond ‘cosmetic handshakes’. The sources reminded that the charter of the SCO bind the member countries to bury their differences and enhance bilateral relations.

The meetings between the leaders on the brinks of gathering and “retreat” on Thursday in the outskirts of Astana could produce some solid outcome about ties between Pakistan and India. The Foreign Office has said Friday that Ishaq Dar received US Ambassador Donald Blome in his office earlier in the day as the two sides reviewed the latest developments in bilateral relations and discussed ways to move the ties forward.

Ambassador of China Jiang Zaidong called on the Dar later. Reaffirming Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, the two sides expressed the resolve to implement the bilateral consensus reached during the prime minister’s visit to China and further strengthening of Pakistan-China friendship and up-gradation of CPEC. The Foreign Office stated that Dar also met Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy in his office. They discussed bilateral cooperation and key areas of mutual interest. They reaffirmed commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations. The foreign minister also appreciated the facilities extended to Hujjaj during performance of haj.