ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Thursday that Pakistan’s mediation gesture during the Middle East crisis in the beginning of the year was applauded by Saudi Arabia and Iran.
“Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have appreciated Pakistan’s positive intentions behind the mediation effort,” Qureshi said, adding that the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told him during a meeting in Riyadh that Pakistan was “on the right track and all the regional countries should immediately join hands to deescalate the situation in the Middle East.”
On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Qureshi visited Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States earlier this month to urge all stakeholders to practice “maximum restraint” in the wake of the killing of a top Iranian commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a US drone strike in Baghdad.
“With the help of other countries, Pakistan succeeded in its efforts to deescalate the Middle East situation. The country assured everyone it was willing to be partner in peace but could not become part of any other conflict,” Qureshi said.
“I also contacted foreign ministers of other regional states. Everyone understood the importance of convincing the countries concerned to exercise maximum restraint,” he continued.
“I met with the Iranian foreign minister and president. My meeting with President Hassan Rouhani lasted for an hour wherein we discussed how to defuse the situation and minimize tensions in the region,” the foreign minister said, adding: “I shared all the findings of my discussions in Tehran with my counterpart in Riyadh, saying it was Pakistan’s utmost desire to reduce tensions in the region.”
The minister continued that Pakistan wanted to minimize misunderstandings among Muslim states.
“Saudi Arabia is our very close friend while Iran is our neighbor. We don’t want tensions to mount among Muslim countries since that can be harmful for the whole Muslim Ummah.”
Asked about the expected visit of United States President Donald Trump to Pakistan, he said the American leader would visit Pakistan this year.
“President Trump has expressed his desire to pay an exclusive and independent visit to Pakistan which would not be linked to his visit to India. Pakistan is an independent and important country in the eyes of President Trump, therefore he desires to pay an exclusive visit to Pakistan,” Qureshi said.
The foreign minister said it now depended on President Trump’s “schedule where the visit will fit in.”
“It may come before or after the next US presidential election, but it will take place this year,” he said.
Pakistan’s role in Middle East deescalation hailed, says Qureshi
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Pakistan’s role in Middle East deescalation hailed, says Qureshi
- Says the country’s diplomatic efforts have produced positive results in the region
- Informs that US President Donald Trump is planning an exclusive visit to Pakistan this year
Pakistan touts investment potential for US businesses in tech, energy and minerals
- The country’s envoy says both sides was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation
- He describes Pakistan’s tech-savvy youth as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States said on Sunday the country offered profitable opportunities for American businesses in information technology, energy and minerals, according to an official statement.
The comments come months after the US and Pakistan reached a trade deal in July, with officials on both sides signaling interest in expanding cooperation into energy, mining, digital infrastructure and other sectors.
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the time said the aim was to move “beyond the immediate trade imperative,” adding that the two countries had “come a long way” in their broader strategic partnership.
“Pakistan presents profitable opportunities for US entrepreneurs, particularly in the fast-growing and lucrative IT, energy and minerals sectors,” Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said, according to the statement.
Sheikh made the remarks during a meeting at the embassy in Washington with a delegation from the Yale School of Management, which plans to visit Pakistan.
He said the leadership in both countries was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation and providing an investor-friendly environment for American firms looking to enter a market of more than 250 million people.
The ambassador noted Pakistan was strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, adding that it served as a vital trade corridor offering US businesses connectivity to energy-rich Central Asian states and Gulf markets.
Sheikh highlighted opportunities in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and information technology, pointing to Pakistan’s large, tech-savvy youth population as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor.
“The success of over 80 US companies already operating profitably in Pakistan bears testimony to the country’s vast economic potential,” he said.
The statement added the delegation thanked the ambassador for the briefing and said it looked forward to the embassy’s support during the visit.
