ISLAMABAD: Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag is scheduled to arrive in the federal capital today, Wednesday, to discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Pakistan helped The Netherlands with the evacuation of its diplomats and other personnel from Afghanistan after the Taliban captured Kabul on August 15.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his concern regarding a fresh wave of asylum seekers from Afghanistan during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, and told the media the last thing his country wanted was “a repeat of what happened in 2015 and 2016 with the Syrian refugee crisis.”
“In the backdrop of recent developments in Afghanistan, Pakistan and The Netherlands have been in close contact,” the foreign office said in its statement, adding that a telephonic conversation was also held between the foreign ministers of the two countries on August 21.
The foreign office said The Netherlands was one of its largest trading partners in the European Union, and a number of Dutch companies had been investing in the country. “The visit of Foreign Minister Kaag will add to the current momentum of high-level exchanges [between the two countries] and help further strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.”
Pakistan also hosted German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday who said his country would work closely with the leadership in Islamabad for regional peace.
During a presser with Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Maas said the Taliban were “going to present a new government and it remains to be seen if this government is as inclusive as we demanded it to be.”
“It is important for us that all Afghans, Afghans who do not support the Taliban, are represented by this government, and it remains to be seen if the Taliban will take this into account,” the German FM said.
He thanked Pakistan for playing a constructive role in the evacuation of German citizens along with vulnerable Afghan nationals from the war-torn country in the last two weeks.
“Pakistan as a neighbor of Afghanistan is fully experiencing the effect of this crisis,” Maas said.
Dutch foreign minister expected in Islamabad today for talks on Afghanistan
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Dutch foreign minister expected in Islamabad today for talks on Afghanistan
- Pakistan helped Netherlands evacuate diplomats and other personnel from Afghanistan after Taliban captured Kabul on August 15
- German foreign minister visited Pakistan on Tuesday, said his country would work closely with leaders in Islamabad for regional peace
Pakistan PM invites UAE investment across tech and resource sectors at National Day event
- Shehbaz Sharif says the UAE remains a key economic partner and continues to lend ‘critical support’ to Pakistan
- UAE envoy says both nations have potential for cooperation in renewable energy, AI and economic diversification
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready to welcome investment from the United Arab Emirates across emerging technologies and resource sectors, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday, as both countries marked the 54th National Day of the Gulf country in Islamabad.
Speaking at the ceremony attended by senior ministers, diplomats and business leaders, Sharif said the UAE remained a key economic partner for Pakistan and continued to lend “critical support” to the country’s stabilizing economy.
“Pakistan takes great pride in its strategic partnership with the UAE, which continues to deepen across every domain of life,” he said. “With Pakistan’s economy stabilizing, we stand ready to welcome Emirati investment in renewable energy, AI, fintech, agriculture and minerals.”
Sharif praised the UAE’s leadership and recalled his earliest memories of the Gulf nation as “a land that believed in possibilities long before they became realities,” saying the country’s progress under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan commanded “profound admiration.”
UAE Ambassador Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi said the Emirates was committed to strengthening ties with Pakistan in areas including the economy, energy and artificial intelligence.
He said the two countries shared a “deep-rooted friendship built on mutual respect, shared values and a common vision for regional peace and development.”
“We see tremendous potential for collaboration in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, sustainability and economic diversification,” the ambassador said, adding that the UAE aimed to broaden the scope of its economic relations with Pakistan.
The UAE hosts around 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the country’s largest overseas communities, who Sharif said contributed “tirelessly” to the Gulf state’s development.
Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also joined the UAE ambassador in a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
