Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, addressing a meeting of SAARC Council of Ministers called for a regional approach to meeting common challenges including COVID-19, food security and other common problems that the region faces. He said this in the sidelines of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.
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The Foreign Minister also reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to host the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad. He also expressed displeasure at the artificial obstacles created in the way of the summit and hoped that it would be able to ‘function as an effective instrument of regional cooperation.’
Pakistan stands with SAARC commitments, Shah Mahmood
Pakistan is a founding member of SAARC and has always supported its cause and attached importance to the platform, he explained.
Press Release- Virtual Informal Meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers, 24 September 2020 https://t.co/VdPbdTJCe0
— SAARC (@SaarcSec) September 24, 2020
Shah Mahmood also revealed that Pakistan was in favor of upgrading ‘Observer Status’ of countries engaged with SAARC countries to ‘Dialogue partners,’ this according to him would help the region in development and post-pandemic recovery.
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Shah Mahmood Qureshi also mentioned that although Pakistan has been largely successful in controlling the pandemic within its borders, a more regional approach was required to curb the pandemic within South Asia.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed for peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes to achieve development, economic growth, poverty alleviation, and social uplift of the masses. In this context, he said that Pakistan strongly emphasizes the importance of faithfully following the UN Charter and implementing UN Security Council Resolutions.
GVS News Desk