Pakistan desires broad-based, strategic partnership with US
New York
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday called for making the United Nations Security Council more representative, democratic, transparent, effective and accountable to address the multiple challenges facing the world.
The foreign minister expressed this resolve while speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Uniting for Consensus Group on UNSC reform on the sidelines of the General Assembly’s 76th Session in New York.
“The reform of the Security Council must be decided by consensus and should enhance the representation of all UN member states,” he emphasised
FM Qureshi further said only an acceptable formula with an increase in the non-permanent members and
rotation through democratic elections can provide more equitable representation for all states on the Security Council.
“Attempts by some states to create new centres of privilege could derail the reform process and exacerbate divisions,” he added.
Qureshi urged that member states must be allowed the necessary time and space to evolve a solution acceptable to the entire UN membership.
“UfC’s principled position offered the only practical solution to the reform of the Security Council,” he remarked.
Talking to the Foreign Minister of Japan Motegi Toshimitsu, FM Qureshi underscored that Pakistan attached great importance to its political and economic relationship with Japan.
“Pakistan views Japan as a trusted development partner and called for exploring further avenues to deepen the bilateral relationship between the two countries in all spheres,” the foreign minister stressed
Regarding the situation in Afghanistan, Qureshi emphasised that the establishment of sustainable peace and stability in the country was of paramount importance for the region and required active engagement on the part of the international community.
The two diplomats also exchanged views on bilateral relations between Pakistan and Japan as well as on other issues of mutual interest including the situation in Afghanistan.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday, during a meeting with US Republican Senator James Risch, reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire for a broad-based, strategic partnership with the United States that would advance the two countries’ shared interests in the bilateral and regional spheres.
Qureshi highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating efforts for achieving an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan, MoFA added.
The communiqué further added that the foreign minister stressed the importance of a stable and broad-based government in Afghanistan to ensure that Afghan territory is not exploited by transnational terrorist groups again.
“While it was important to hold the Taliban to their commitments, the international community must help the Afghan people deal with the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” FM Qureshi noted.
Senator Risch agreed with the foreign minister on the need for continued cooperation between the two countries for peace in Afghanistan.
Qureshi also met his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, in New York and discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest, a press release by MoFA stated.
Qureshi underscored that Pakistan attached high importance to its relations with Finland and felicitated Foreign Minister Haavisto on the completion of seven decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to MoFA.
The communique added that the foreign minister expressed Pakistan’s resolve to further solidify its political and economic ties with Finland.
“Reopening of the Finnish Embassy in Islamabad would further facilitate trade relations as well as promotion of people-to-people contacts,” the FM added.
He also invited Minister Haavisto to undertake a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Qureshi also briefed his Finnish counterpart on Pakistan’s perspective regarding developments in Afghanistan.
MoFA further added that Qureshi stressed the need to promote lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan through the active and sustained engagement of the international community to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the Afghan people and their long-term socio-economic development.
Qureshi shared a dossier, documenting India’s grave violations of human rights, international humanitarian law and UN Security Council resolutions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with Minister Haavisto.
