ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will visit Iran next week to participate in the second ministerial meeting of the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan - Pakistan, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to be held on October 28 in Tehran.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, Foreign Minister Qureshi received a telephone call from Foreign Minister of Iran Dr Hossein Amir Abdollahian during which the two foreign ministers exchanged views on the regional security situation, particularly, Afghanistan.

It stated that Foreign Minister Dr Abdollahian invited Foreign Minister Qureshi to participate in the second ministerial meeting of the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, to be held in Tehran next week, stressing that Iran fully supported Pakistan's initiative for a regional approach on Afghanistan.

Qureshi thanked his Iranian counterpart for the invitation and expressed the hope that the meeting would impart further impetus to the regional approach on the situation in Afghanistan. He emphasised that close coordination was essential to help Afghanistan on path to peace, stability, and development.

Qureshi underlined that sustained international engagement was essential in view of the evolving economic situation in Afghanistan. He expressed the hope that international community would ramp up provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis, in view of the upcoming winter season, and take steps to ensure economic stability in the country.

At the initiative of Pakistan, the first ministerial meeting of the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan was held on-line on 8 September 2021 at which a joint statement was unanimously adopted. Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated. The ministerial meeting was preceded by the virtual meeting of the special representatives/envoys of the six neighbouring countries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021