ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani to discuss bilateral relations, the regional situation and Syria’s reconstruction efforts, among other issues.
Welcoming the Syrian foreign minister and his delegation, Shehbaz conveyed his good wishes to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and referred to his recent meetings with the Syrian leadership.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
He also said Pakistan would continue to strongly support Syria’s position on the issue of the Golan Heights.
Highlighting the historic and close ties between Pakistan and Syria, Shehbaz said the relationship between the two countries should be translated into practical cooperation in areas including politics, defence, trade, investment, education and human resource development.
He said the restoration of direct flights between Pakistan and Syria would help strengthen people-to-people contacts and facilitate Pakistani pilgrims travelling to Syria.
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Al-Shibani conveyed President al-Sharaa’s best wishes to Prime Minister Shehbaz and briefed him on the political situation in Syria and the country’s reconstruction efforts.
The Syrian foreign minister thanked Pakistan for its continued support for Syria and said the Syrian government was keen to further strengthen bilateral relations with Islamabad.
He also expressed a desire to establish formal institutional mechanisms for cooperation between the two countries at the earliest.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz also invited President Ahmed al-Sharaa to undertake an official visit to Pakistan.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch were also present in the meeting.