The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wherein they discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan and the continued need for an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s support for a broad-based and stable government in Afghanistan, which could be a credible development and security partner for the international community.
افغانستان کے لیے امریکی نمائندہ خصوصی ایمبیسڈر زلمے خلیل زاد کی نیویارک میں جاری اقوام متحدہ جنرل اسمبلی کے چھہترویں اجلاس کے موقع پر وزیر خارجہ مخدوم شاہ محمود قریشی سے ملاقات۔
(1/3)#APPNews @SMQureshiPTI @TeamSMQ @US4AfghanPeace @ForeignOfficePk @MoIB_Official @PakinAfg pic.twitter.com/f5cP75ZaRM— APP 🇵🇰 (@appcsocialmedia) September 21, 2021
He expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and hoped that the international community would support the Afghan people in order to prevent further instability in the region.
Read more: Looking at the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan
The foreign minister and Ambassador Khalilzad agreed that continued close coordination between Pakistan and the United States was critical to achieving a comprehensive and peaceful political settlement in Afghanistan.
FM Qureshi’s vision for Pak-US relations
Earlier, FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi outlined his vision for the future of the Pakistan-US relationship and highlighted Pakistan’s efforts for regional stability during a keynote address at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York.
President CFR Ambassador Richard Haass welcomed the Foreign Minister to the Council, which is one of the United States’ leading thinks and the publisher of the Foreign Affairs journal.
In his remarks, FM Qureshi said that with the end of the US mission in Afghanistan, Pakistan wanted to build a more broad-based and multidimensional relationship with the United States.
Pakistan wanted to “break out of the cyclical pattern” that had defined Pakistan-US ties in the past and find new anchors for the relationship in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
Read more: Pakistan wants strong relations with US: FM Qureshi
FM Qureshi said that an economically strong Pakistan would be “an anchor of stability” in the region, which had suffered because of 40 years of conflict in Afghanistan. Pakistan wanted to work with the United States in areas that would create jobs and economic prosperity on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, helping the Afghan people rebuild their country.
Courtesy: APP with additional input by GVS