30. Avusturya şansölyesi
Pakistan calls for end to Israel's occupation of Palestine at meeting convened by France, UK, Canada
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories at a high-level meeting convened by France, the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. Dar delivered Pakistan’s statement at the High-Level International Meeting on the Two-State Solution, titled “The Road Ahead: One Year After the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive 20-point Peace Plan”, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The meeting was convened by France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the UK’s PM Andy Burnham. The opening statements were also delivered by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Highlighting several initiatives that Pakistan has been a part of on the Palestine issue, Dar said: “Ultimately, all these efforts must converge on one objective: ending the occupation and realising the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.” He reiterated Islamabad’s call for an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. “Pakistan will continue to play its constructive role towards this objective,” the deputy premier reaffirmed. “Diplomacy must respond to the realities on the ground,” he emphasised to the attendees, which included various heads of states and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (via video). Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez, Qatari PM and FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Egypt’s PM Mostafa Madbouly, Jordan’s DPM and FM Ayman Safadi, Norway’s PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin also attended the meeting. Other participants included European Council President António Costa, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, the Netherlands ’ PM Rob Jetten, Türkiye’s Hakan Fidan, and High Representative for Gaza of the Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov. DPM Dar recalled that Pakistan had endorsed the September 2025 “New York Declaration” that backed the two-state solution, was part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries that supported the Gaza peace plan, and had voted for a UN Security Council resolution that supported that plan. The deputy premier emphasised that these processes were “complementary elements of a broader political and diplomatic pathway towards peace, and these must reinforce one another”. He declared: “Our objective throughout has been clear: to end the killing and suffering of innocent Palestinians, ensure unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance and advance a credible political horizon leading to Palestinian statehood.” Dar stated that violations of the ceasefire and the “catastrophic human toll in Gaza, alongside the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank, remain matters of grave concern”. “This machinery of occupation is eroding the territorial and political foundations on which a viable Palestinian state must be built. It must stop, and stop immediately,” he asserted. DPM Dar noted that the New York Declaration provided an “important political framework for translating international consensus into concrete action”. “Its implementation, together with the Gaza Peace Plan and Resolution 2803, must ensure a permanent ceasefire, safe and sustained humanitarian assistance, immediate recovery and reconstruction, and create the conditions for a credible, irreversible and time-bound political process.” PM Shehbaz meets Bill Gates, world leaders Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held multiple meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York The prime minister also met with Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates, who stressed that polio eradication efforts in Pakistan were “vital to protect future generations”. PM Shehbaz appreciated Gates Foundation’s engagement with Pakistan to support polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunisation, digitisation and financial inclusion, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on X. “The prime minister complimented the Gates Foundation for being a trusted partner in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in areas including public health, agriculture, digital innovation and AI,” PMO said. PM Shehbaz and Gates also “agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration in the development of improved seeds, livestock genetics and emerging agricultural technologies”, according to PMO. The two committed to “further strengthening and expanding partnerships that support sustainable development, technological advancement and improved social sector outcomes for the people of Pakistan”. PM Shehbaz invited the Microsoft co-founder to visit Pakistan. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. As part of efforts to fight the virus, week-long polio campaigns were launched in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 13 districts of Punjab on Monday. During his ongoing New York trip, PM Shehbaz also met with world leaders of Kuwait, Kenya, Austria, Somalia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a meeting on Wednesday with Bosnian Presidency Chairman Denis Becirovic, the prime minister congratulated him on the formal opening of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European Union accession talks. According to PMO, Becirovic praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts for de-escalation in the Gulf, adding that “he also fully supported Pakistan’s position” on the illegality of holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. In the meeting with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz highlighted the potential for “enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, energy and human resource development” between the two countries, PMO said. Furthermore, PM Shehbaz and Kenyan President William Ruto “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding and cordial ties between the two countries”. The premier also invited Kenyan investors to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. Ruto further lauded Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the US-Iran war. PM Shehbaz also met Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UNGA session. FM Dar interacts with counterparts DPM Dar also engaged with world leaders on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In a meeting with the Bulgarian FM Velislava Petrova-Chamova, Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for diplomatic efforts to resolve regional issues”. “The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Bulgaria bilateral relations and expressed their desire to further strengthen ties through enhanced and regular political and economic engagement,” FO said. Dar also met his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban. Both sides stressed the importance of convening regular bilateral consultative mechanisms to maintain momentum in bilateral engagement. Greek FM George Gerapetritis, in a separate meeting with Dar, “appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability, as well as its growing diplomatic engagement on the international stage”, FO said. The deputy premier also met Austrian FM Beate Meinl-Reisinger. The Austrian minister “appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability and underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement in addressing regional and global challenges”, according to FO. On Tuesday, Dar had met with Japan’s FM Toshimitsu Motegi, Kuwait’s FM Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Libya’s acting FM Al-Taher Al-Baour on the sidelines of the UNGA.
BM Genel Kurulu için New York'ta güvenlik önlemleri en üst seviyeye çıkarıldıPakistan stands out amid flurry of diplomacy at UNGA
• As Islamabad presses Washington and Tehran to return to talks, Trump reveals ‘three-hour meeting’ with Iranian delegation • US president hails PM Shehbaz as ‘terrific man’; diplomatic efforts win praise from UN chief • Dar joins counterparts from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in stressing need to uphold Islamabad MoU NEW YORK: Pakistan remained front and centre on Tuesday, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity at UN Headquarters, as world leaders came together to address the 81st General Assembly session. Both PM Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar spent a busy day filled with whirlwind meetings, engaging with leaders from around the world, as they continued to push for a diplomatic solution to the US-Iran war, which has taken a toll on global trade and energy markets. Although he is scheduled to address the UNGA tomorrow (Thursday), PM Shehbaz was mentioned by US President Donald Trump in his speech, who called him a “terrific man”. “The prime minister of Pakistan — terrific man — said that Donald Trump was responsible for saving 30 million lives and probably many more than that,” he said as he rattled off a list of conflicts that he claimed to have helped settle: Pakistan-India, Thailand-Cambodia, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and the Gaza conflict, among others. Pakistan has been vigorously pursuing diplomacy to help bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table, even as uncertainty clouded a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UNGA. Those efforts seem to have borne fruit when, after sending mixed signals during his UNGA speech, President Trump said that his team had met an Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the General Assembly. “It was a meeting that lasted for three hours; it ended an hour ago,” Trump told reporters after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky. “It was a very good meeting. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to do it; it’s greatness or obliteration.” He added that the meeting was “productive” and that “They have another one scheduled in the very near future”. According to diplomatic sources at the United Nations, Pakistan has been “quietly but persistently urging” both Washington and Tehran to maintain indirect contacts and “remain positively open” to direct talks. A day earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had travelled to Tehran and met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, with the mediation process among the issues discussed. During the visit, Iranian officials expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continuing efforts to promote regional peace and stability. The diplomatic efforts were also appreciated by Secretary-General António Guterres, whose spokesperson said a day earlier that the outgoing UN chief was “very grateful and appreciative” of the efforts by Pakistan’s leadership to mediate between Washington and Tehran and help end the violence. Guterres’ spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told a news briefing in New York that Pakistan’s role was “critical”, and described the understanding reached in Islamabad as “a great achievement.” He said Guterres had remained in close touch with the Pakistani leadership as part of efforts to achieve the shared objective of ending the conflict. Asked about the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief to mediate between Iran and the United States, Dujarric said the UN chief appreciated the Pakistani leadership’s efforts to bring an end to the violence. “Other countries have also been involved,” he said, “but I think Pakistan’s role has been critical.” Dujarric also endorsed renewed direct engagement between Washington and Tehran, saying the UN “always” supports dialogue. “Diplomacy is our middle name, so to speak,” he said, adding that any re-engagement between the United States and Iran, as they had previously pursued, could help bring an end to the conflict, which he said was “hurting a lot of people.” Iranian President Pezeshkian is expected to address the UN General Assembly today (Wednesday) and hold bilateral meetings with world leaders. Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that no meeting with Iranian representatives was currently scheduled, but that Washington was open to such talks if they had the prospect of producing a positive result. Iran, meanwhile, has signalled that its delegation in New York has authority to pursue diplomacy. Tehran has also conveyed proposals to Washington through mediators, keeping open the possibility of a return to negotiations. Sideline meetings On Tuesday, Deputy PM Dar participated in a key ministerial meeting of the Regional-4 (R-4) group, where he was joined by the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The R-4 group has been focused on regional security and emerged in March amid efforts for mediation between the US and Iran. As the group met in New York, DPM Dar reaffirmed “Pakistan’s strong commitment to the R-4 framework and expressed the need for continued engagement for enhancing regional peace and prosperity”, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. It added that the participants exchanged views on the latest situation in the region and expressed full support for efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation. A statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN said that the ministers’ consultative meeting on Sept 21 on the sidelines of the session also discussed recent regional and international developments. “The ministers underscored that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path towards sustainable resolution, and in this context they underscored the need for upholding the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding for lasting peace and stability,” the statement said. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz met with several world leaders, including President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Kuwaiti crown prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2026
BM Genel Kurulu için New York'ta güvenlik önlemleri en üst seviyeye çıkarıldı