ISLAMABAD, Jan. 14 (Asia Free Press): The newly-appointed Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, called Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and discussed bilateral and regional issues.
During the call, the Foreign Minister congratulated her on her appointment as Canada’s Foreign Minister and hoped that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Canada would further strengthen and widen during her tenure, APP reported.
The Foreign Minister underlined that a large and strong Pakistani diaspora in Canada was an essential part of the Canadian economy and social fabric. Underscoring that Pakistan was making vigorous efforts to harness the imperatives of geo-economics and human development, the Foreign Minister also emphasised that Pakistan and Canada must deepen their engagement in the investment, trade, and financial sectors.
Referring to Afghanistan’s unstable situation, the Foreign Minister stressed the significance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for regional security and hoped that the global community would avoid the mistakes of the 1990s. Regarding the special session of OIC Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan held last month in Islamabad, the Foreign Minister apprised his counterpart about the unanimous resolution adopted by the OIC CFM calling for all possible humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, whose uncertain economic situation is at its peak nowadays.
The Foreign Minister underscored the urgent priority of addressing the dire humanitarian needs and ensuring economic stability in Afghanistan. He also welcomed Canada’s humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, worth 56 million Canadian dollars. The Foreign Minister also informed Foreign Minister Joly about Pakistan’s in-kind humanitarian assistance package of US $30 million for Afghanistan, including food items and medicine.
In the global context, the Foreign Minister underscored Pakistan’s belief that the main driver in international relations should be cooperation, not confrontation, and win-win solutions.
The two Foreign Ministers agreed to expand bilateral cooperation and coordination in mutually beneficial areas.
