Pakistan wants relation with US that is in sync with our changed priority: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan wants a relationship with the United States "that is in sync with our changed priority".

Addressing the opening session of the Margalla Dialogue 21 on Tuesday, the FM said that Pakistan valued its longstanding relations with the US. However, the FM said, looking towards the future, Pakistan does not want a transactional relationship with the US.

“We want multifaceted ties that are not susceptible to the vagaries of regional and international policies,” he added.

PM calls for ‘deeper’ Pak-US engagement

He continued that in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision for a shift from geopolitics to geo-economics, Pakistan wanted a relationship with Washington that "was in sync with our changed priority".

“​Enhanced trade and investment ties with the US and cooperation in regard to regional connectivity can work to our mutual benefit,” he added.

'Pakistan’s relations with China poised to grow further'

While talking about China, the FM said that Pakistan’s relations with Beijing was resilient and poised to grow further.

“The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project, will leverage economic geography and connectivity of the three contiguous continents – Asia, Europe and Africa – ushering in prosperity for all global citizens,” he added.

Dire humanitarian crisis looming in Afghanistan

The foreign minister has said that the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan will have consequences for the region and beyond. "There is a dire humanitarian crisis looming which has consequences not only for the people of Afghanistan but indeed us as neighbours, the region and beyond,” he stated.

Pakistan to host OIC moot on Afghanistan on December 19

Qureshi continued that Pakistan has been working closely with the international partners for humanitarian outreach and bringing together neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and international stakeholders for a coordinated approach.

He further said that Pakistan is hosting an extraordinary session of the OIC on Sunday (December 19) to mobilize support for providing adequate food, medicine and housing to millions of Afghans in dire distress.