Daily Times

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozkir met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office on Thursday. He arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the foreign minister discussed his concerns regarding the situation in Palestine, Afghan peace process and other matters of interest for both parties.

“The ceasefire was the first step towards halting Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, and there was success on this front,” FM Qureshi said.

He welcomed Bozkir to the foreign office and appreciated his efforts on calling an emergency meeting over the Palestinian issue.

Qureshi mentioned the urgency to resolve both the Kashmir and Palestine issue according to the UN Security Council resolutions.

“Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive without a permanent resolution to the Palestine issue,” he said. Similarly, peace can’t be established in South Asia without resolving the Kashmir issue, he added.

FM Qureshi appreciated Bozkir’s initiative, “Vaccine for All” and said that in order to defeat the virus everyone should be vaccinated.

The UNGA President reiterated UN’s stance on the Kashmir issue by saying that, “UN position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is governed by the UN Charter and relevant UNSC resolutions, calling for a ‘free and impartial’ plebiscite under the UN auspices.”

He also visited the National Defense University Pakistan. In a speech there he said that in today’s world multilateralism has become extremely important.

He also appreciated the government’s measures for social support in light of the coronavirus pandemic and that its efforts have definitely had a positive impact. Moreover, he commented how, “developing countries can leapfrog into the digital era to support financial inclusion” when talking about the emergency cash assistance given to the down trodden before and during the pandemic.

The UNGA president praised the prime minister with respect to his campaign against corruption and he also appreciated the efforts of the Pakistani military and law enforcement agencies serving in UN’s peacekeeping missions across the world.

According to a press statement issued yesterday, Qureshi said Bozkir’s visit will provide an opportunity to highlight Pakistan’s active contributions to multilateralism and the UN’s vital role in international affairs.

He also said that “Pakistan remains committed to supporting the United Nations General Assembly for the realization of shared objectives of maintaining international peace and security; economic and social development; promotion and protection of human rights; peaceful settlement of international disputes; and developing friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as enshrined in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”

Bozkir is the first Turkish national to become UNGA’s President. He is a former diplomat and a senior politician. He visited Pakistan before assuming his role as President.

Bozkir was elected thrice as a member of the Turkish Parliament following his 39-year long diplomatic career. He has also served as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and minister for European Union Affairs.