Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday, while highlighting Pakistan’s abiding interest in a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, expressed the hope that the Afghan parties would realize the opportunity and workout an inclusive, politically negotiated settlement.

The foreign minister met the Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) sidelines sidelines sidelines in Turkey.

Both sides also exchanged views on the latest status of the Afghan peace process, in which foreign minister Qureshi underscored Pakistan’s consistent efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.

Foreign minister Qureshi congratulated Foreign Minister Zarif on the successful conclusion of presidential elections in Iran and extended best wishes to the government and the people of Iran, Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release.

The two foreign ministers reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations and the evolving regional situation. They also noted the positive trajectory in bilateral relations in various areas in the last few years.

Foreign minister Qureshi recalled signing an MOU on border sustenance markets and opening additional border crossing points, which would further strengthen people-to-people linkages and improve livelihood in the border regions.

This was the third meeting between the two foreign ministers in the past few months. Earlier, Foreign Minister Qureshi had paid an official visit to Iran in April 2021.