ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has concluded his three-day official visit to Egypt that started on Tuesday.
During the visit, the foreign minister called on President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and held delegation level talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, besides holding a meeting with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, a Foreign Office press release said.
In his meeting with the Egyptian President, the foreign minister conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister Imran Khan and invited him to visit Pakistan on behalf of President Arif Alvi.
Qureshi, while referring to the shared vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Sisi, emphasized the importance of increased high level visits and economic engagement to translate the vision and cordiality into a mutually beneficial partnership.
FM successfully concluded his visit to ???????? during which he met President @AlsisiOfficial & FM #SamehShoukry. FM vowed to re-engage with Egypt under the #EngageAfrica initiative & strengthen bilateral ties.@PakinEgypt @MfaEgypt #Egypt pic.twitter.com/yPA1rmSeUg
— Spokesperson ???????? MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) February 18, 2021
During the delegation level talks with his Egyptian counterpart, the foreign ministers agreed to deepen bilateral relations by holding soon the next sessions of the Bilateral Political Consultations as well as the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Foreign Minister Qureshi invited his counterpart to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. Foreign Minister Shoukry promised to visit Pakistan as soon as possible.
The foreign minister briefed his interlocutor about the humanitarian crisis being faced by the Kashmiri people in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and stressed the need for the international community to take action against the egregious human rights violations being committed against the innocent Kashmiri people.
He said the non-resolution of long-standing disputes, in particular the dispute of India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir lies at the core of Pakistan-India relations. “The Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people,” he told local media.
During the joint press conference, both foreign ministers echoed each other’s desire and commitment to take the bilateral relationship to new heights.
Now in Tahrir Palace…
FM #Sameh_Shoukry receives the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan #Shah_Mahmood_Qureshi ???????????????? @SMQureshiPTI@ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/p5bkXl0rsB— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) February 17, 2021
Besides official meetings, the foreign minister also interacted with the leading Egyptian businessmen, local media and Pakistani community.In an exclusive interview with Ahram Online, he said Pakistan and Egypt have dynamic economies with robust rates of growth. “Our emerging markets are poised to play a pivotal role in promoting global trade and economic cooperation,” he added.
“Pakistan’s vision for the Middle East, as well as South Asia, is of peace and development,” he continued.
Qureshi further said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed that war is in no one’s interest and also made it clear that Pakistan would not be part of any conflict in the region but will be a partner for peace.
