Dawn (Pakistan)์ง๋ณด ์ฑํฅ
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๋ถ์ ์ FM Dar assures UN chief of Pakistan's 'continued engagement and dialogue' to restore peace in region
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is on a two-day visit to New York, met United Nations Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres, with both sides discussing the situation in the Middle East, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday. DPM Dar arrived in New York a day earlier. In its statement, the FO said that during the meeting, DPM Dar lauded the UN chiefโs โsteadfast commitment to the UN and multilateralismโ and also expressed appreciation for his โcontinued support and strong cooperationโ with Pakistan. As per the statement, the two leaders discussed regional developments, including the situation in the Middle East and West Asia, during which Dar thanked Guterres for his โprincipled position and supportโ for Pakistanโs mediation efforts in the US-Iran war. DPM Dar also โhighlighted Pakistanโs successful hosting of the Islamabad Talks in April, which represented an important diplomatic breakthrough,โ and said the April 8 Pakistan-brokered ceasefire continued to remain in place. Dar assured the UN chief of Pakistanโs โcontinued engagement and dialogueโ to restore peace in the region. As per FO, Dar โreaffirmed Pakistanโs strong commitment to upholding the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and advancing international peace and security through constructive engagement at the UNโ. FO further stated that Dar also appreciated the UN chiefโs leadership in the UN80 initiative, stressing that the interests of the developing countries should remain โcentralโ to the initiative. The U80 initiative aims to โstreamline operations, sharpen impact, and reaffirm the UNโs relevance for a rapidly changing world,โ as per the UNโs website. In his meeting with Guterres, Dar also stressed the need for โstrengthening conflict prevention, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in line with evolving global realitiesโ. He maintained that a comprehensive reform process should be based on โprinciples of sovereign equality, transparency, inclusivity, and broad-based consensus among member statesโ. โThese principles could only be upheld through the addition of elected members,โ FO quoted him as saying. The two leaders also exchanged views on South Asia, where Dar raised alarm over โprovocative and inflammatory statements by India, which he said, โundermines regional stabilityโ. Dar further held that Indiaโs unilateral move of holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance was a โclear violation of international law, the treatyโs provisions, and established norms governing inter-state relationsโ. On India-occupied Kashmir, Dar said the dispute remained the โcore issueโ between Pakistan and India. He maintained that Kashmirโs โjust resolutionโ remained โessentialโ for peace in the region. On Afghanistan, Dar maintained that a โpeaceful and stableโ Afghanistan was โvitalโ for regional stability, but also expressed concern over the terrorist elements emanating from Afghan soil. He went to reaffirm โPakistanโs resolve to safeguard its national security and protect its citizens in accordance with international law and the UN Charter,โ FO said. The two also spoke about Palestine, and the foreign minister lauded the UN chiefโs โcontinued advocacyโ for a two-state solution as well as the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan. As per FO, Guterres, on his part, expressed appreciation for โPakistanโs active engagement at the UN and its continued contributions to international peace and security, including through diplomacy and peacekeeping effortsโ. A day earlier, Dar addressed a UNSC debate chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the UN headquarters in New York, where he pushed for sustained diplomacy in the ongoing US-Iran crisis and highlighted Islamabadโs role in efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Tehran and Washington. While a deal for a complete end to the war โ which broke out on February 28 โ is yet to happen, hostilities have largely ceased since the two sides agreed on a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8. Following the ceasefire, a first round of historic direct US-Iran talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, with Pakistan playing the role of a mediator. The talks had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown. Dar meets Bahrain FM Separately, Dar also met Bahrainโs Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, as per FO. โThe two leaders reaffirmed the strong fraternal ties between Pakistan and Bahrain and discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investment, and economic sectors,โ FO said in a post on X. The top diplomats also discussed โregional developments and cooperation at multilateral forums, including the UN,โ the statement said. โBoth sides agreed to further strengthen the PakistanโBahrain partnership across diverse fields, including as fellow elected members of the UNSC,โ the FO further stated.