Pakistan, Italy agree to enhance cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations
Pakistan, Italy agree to enhance cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan and Italy agreed to make joint efforts to promote parliamentary ties, strengthen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
According to details, delegation-level talks between the two countries took place at the Foreign Office in Islamabad. The Pakistani delegation was led by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi while the Italian delegation was led by his counterpart Luigi Di Maio.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed his condolences to his Italian counterpart for the loss of precious lives during the Coronavirus and said that the effective measures taken by Italy to curb the spread of the virus were commendable while we have limited resources in Pakistan. However, the Smart Lockdown has helped to control the pandemic and prevent its spread.
Qureshi said that Pakistan attaches special importance to bilateral relations with Italy. The integrated partnership between Pakistan and Italy at the level of the European Union and the United Nations is a sign of strong relations, and the similarity in the perspectives of Pakistan and Italy on important regional and global issues is encouraging.
The Foreign Minister thanked the Italian Foreign Minister for Italy s support to Pakistan, citing GSP Plus status and FATF. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was in touch with the heads of state of many EU countries on the situation in Afghanistan, adding that he himself had the opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with a number of European Foreign Ministers, including Josep Borrell, Head of EU Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Minister congratulated the Italian Foreign Minister on assuming the presidency of G20 and said that the decision of the G20 to convene a conference on the situation in Afghanistan was welcoming. He said that as Afghanistan faces the implications of the ongoing civil war and unrest for the past four decades, the changes that have taken place in Afghanistan in mid-August have taken everyone by surprise. The predictions turned out to be wrong.
He said the key to the current situation is the end of the war to create hope for lasting peace in Afghanistan, adding the end of the war by the Taliban leadership, amnesty, protection of the rights of Afghans, and commitment to not let anyone use Afghan soil against any other country are encouraging.
The minister said that Pakistan, along with the protection of the lives, property and rights of Afghan citizens, wished for a conclusive government in Afghanistan. He said that the people of Afghanistan have been facing conflict for the last 40 years. In light of the changing situation in Afghanistan, the international community has a responsibility to show solidarity with Afghans, he added.
He said that the international community needs to take concrete steps to restore peace in Afghanistan and provide financial assistance to Afghans on humanitarian grounds so that there is no threat of civil war, refugee invasion in Afghanistan. He said that we must also keep a close eye on the spoilers who are active in sabotaging peace efforts in Afghanistan.
While referring to his recent four-nation visit, the Foreign Minister said that he had consulted the challenges faced in the context of the situation in Afghanistan and the formulation of a consensus in strategy at the regional level with the leaderships of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran and briefed them on Pakistan s position.
He said that peace in Afghanistan would benefit the entire region equally, Pakistan had provided assistance to 12,000 citizens of different countries in evacuation from Kabul and Pakistan was committed to continue assisting in the evacuation process.
The Italian Foreign Minister thanked the Pakistani leadership for its support to evacuate Italian citizens from Afghanistan.
The two Foreign Ministers pledged to make joint efforts to enhance parliamentary relations between Pakistan and Italy, strengthen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
