Lahore/Beijing, July 15: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to deepening its “enduring friendship” with China and advancing shared regional goals as he called on Chinese President Xi Jinping along with other Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states in Beijing.
Dar, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, was among the foreign ministers and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) whom Xi met ahead of their meeting in the Chinese city of Tianjin.
In a post on X, Dar said he was “delighted” to meet President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and “conveyed the warm greetings of the leadership, government, and people of Pakistan”.
“As iron-clad brothers and All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners, we remain committed to deepening Pak-China enduring friendship and advancing shared regional goals,” Dar said.
Dar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amid efforts by Pakistan to warm up to Moscow.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral ties and agreed to further enhance cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, and defence, he said and reiterated the invitation for Lavrov to visit Pakistan.
He also met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the SCO meeting. Both leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation across diverse areas and discussed the evolving regional situation following the recent Israeli aggression against Iran, he said in a post X.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Iran, reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to regional peace and stability, emphasising that dialogue & diplomacy remain the only viable path to de-escalation and lasting peace.
He said he also met his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu. “We reaffirmed our resolve to deepen Pak-Kazakh bilateral ties and to expand collaboration across regional and multilateral fora,” he said.
The SCO comprises 10 member states namely China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. China currently holds the rotating presidency of the SCO.
The Chinese president welcomed the heads of delegations and underlined the “salience of regional cooperation” under the ambit of the SCO, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a post on X.
Dar arrived in Tianjin along with other foreign ministers to lead Pakistan’s delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Dar also held separate meetings with his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, focusing on enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
“Always good to exchange views for strengthening regional understanding and cooperation in such a challenging time,” he posted on X. (PTI)
