Pakistan joins Saudi Arabia, Türkiye in backing UN Gaza Peace Plan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan joined Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and five other Muslim-majority nations in backing a Gaza peace initiative, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at a weekly press briefing, Andrabi stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif aligned Pakistan with Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in supporting implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The eight countries joined the Board of Peace and issued a joint statement on the initiative during Sharif's Jan. 20-22 visit, the spokesperson said.

PM Sharif also participated in a session titled "Restoring Spirit of Dialogue in a Divided World" at the forum's annual gathering, the ministry said. He met with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and addressed an event at the Pakistan Pavilion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar accompanied Sharif to Davos, where he met with foreign ministers from Canada, Finland and Thailand, as well as the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the ministry said.

Dar inaugurated the Pathfinder Group's Pakistan Pavilion, showcasing Pakistan's economic potential and emerging opportunities. He discussed the role of startups in advancing socio-economic development and driving innovation across diverse sectors.

The deputy prime minister stated that the government was committed to facilitating and promoting entrepreneurs and startups, particularly those led by youth, to realize Pakistan's economic potential.

Returning from Davos, Dar stopped in the UAE to meet the chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Finance and secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs, who also serves as chairman of Etisalat and vice chairman of Abu Dhabi Holding Company.

The two sides explored opportunities to increase UAE investment in Pakistan and exchanged views on broadening trade and economic relations. Discussions focused on Etisalat's ongoing investments in Pakistan and its plans to expand through its stake in Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd.

According to the spokesperson, they discussed resolving issues related to PTCL's operations and future growth. Dar talked about the need to promptly settle remaining issues and cooperate closely to enhance bilateral economic relations, build on historic goodwill and open new avenues of investment, trade and joint ventures.

The UAE side expressed full agreement and reaffirmed a strong commitment to advancing shared objectives, Andrabi stated. Both sides agreed to pursue joint efforts to expedite the resolution of outstanding matters.

President’s visit to the UAE
President Asif Ali Zardari was on an official visit to the UAE from Sunday through Wednesday. The spokesperson stated that on Monday, President Zardari met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

The president highlighted Sheikh Mohammed's recent visit to Pakistan and expressed hope for continued support for strengthening bilateral ties. Both leaders exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.

The visit reflects "deep brotherly ties and mutually rewarding partnership" between the two countries, the spokesperson said.

Myanmar visit to Pakistan
Myanmar Foreign Minister Thanh Sui visited Pakistan this week. In his meeting with Dar, the full gamut of bilateral relations between the two Asian states was reviewed.

According to the spokesperson, the two countries decided to expand cooperation across diverse sectors, including religious tourism, people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges. They exchanged views on regional and international peace and security and agreed to remain in contact on matters of mutual understanding.

Both sides signed memorandums of understanding on political consultations to facilitate regular dialogue on bilateral, regional and institutional issues.

Telephonic conversation with EU VP
Dar also held a telephone conversation with EU High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas, welcoming positive momentum in Pakistan-EU relations, the spokesperson said. Both leaders discussed ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

They exchanged views on recent regional and international developments, including Iran. Dar reaffirmed the importance of sustained dialogue and engagement, and both sides agreed to remain in close contact.

Iran
The deputy prime minister also spoke twice this week with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. The two leaders exchanged views on current regional and international developments and discussed the current situation in Iran and the wider region.

Dar expressed hope for peace and stability, and both sides agreed to continue regular consultations on matters of mutual interest.

Diplomatic engagements with Muslim nations
Dar spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the ministry said. During these conversations, the officials reviewed bilateral and regional developments and agreed to remain in close contact on key regional and international matters.

He also held a telephone conversation with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Touhid Hossain. They reviewed Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations, including trade and economic cooperation, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration across multiple sectors.

The two South Asian leaders exchanged views on current regional and international developments. They discussed the importance of sustained engagement to advance shared interests in promoting regional peace and prosperity.

Pakistan-Belgium ties
The foreign office spokesperson stated that Pakistan and Belgium held the fourth session of bilateral political consultations this week. Pakistan's delegation was led by Additional Secretary for Europe Aisha Ali, while the Belgian delegation was led by Director-General Bridget Stephens.

The two sides appreciated positive momentum in bilateral relations in areas such as trade, investment, education, health science and people-to-people contact. Ali thanked her Belgian counterpart for continued support for Pakistan's GSP Plus status.

The Belgian delegation paid a courtesy call on Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.

Ghana
Pakistan and Ghana held their inaugural session of bilateral political consultations on Jan. 26 in Ghana, Andrabi said. The milestone marked a development in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Foreign Secretary Hamid Asad Khan, while the Ghanaian side was led by Chief Director Khadija Idrissou of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides signed an MOU on bilateral political consultations and another MOU on collaboration between the Foreign Service Academy and the Ghanaian Foreign Service Institute. They agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations across political, economic, defense, tourism, cultural, trade, education and IT sectors to promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

The next round of consultations will be held in Islamabad in 2027, the foreign office spokesperson stated.