Sweden has thanked Pakistan in facilitating the evacuation of the staff of its embassy from Kabul. Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde in a telephone call to Foreign Ministet Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed deep appreciation for Pakistan’s assistance in the process of evacuation.
Foreign Minister Qureshi apprised his Swedish counterpart of Pakistan’s perspective on the latest developments in Afghanistan. He mentioned that in the last few days, he had been in touch with several European and other foreign ministers to exchange views on Afghanistan.
Qureshi underlined that no other country wanted a peaceful and stable Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had consistently advocated for an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan as the best way forward and had been supporting efforts in that direction. He emphasized that the immediate priority was to ensure safety, security and protection of rights of all Afghans. He said that as a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan was fully facilitating several European countries, international organizations and media agencies to evacuate their nationals and employees and others from Afghanistan. Pakistan’s efforts have been widely acknowledged.
Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted the importance of international community’s sustained engagement with Afghanistan, both in areas of humanitarian arena and economic sustenance. Foreign Minister Qureshi informed FM Ann Linde of his upcoming visit to neighboring countries of Afghanistan to consult them on the developing situation. The two foreign ministers agreed to remain in contact.