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 says Indian minister initiated handshake in Dhaka, first contact since May conflict
- Pakistan’s Ayaz Sadiq and India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on the sidelines of Khaleda Zia’s funeral
- The National Assembly of Pakistan says Islamabad has consistently emphasized dialogue with New Delhi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar initiated a brief handshake with Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka, marking the first high-level contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals since their military conflict in May.
The encounter took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, attended by senior officials and diplomats from multiple countries.
Ties between India and Pakistan have remained frozen since a four-day military confrontation in May, during which both sides exchanged missile, drone and air strikes before a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
“During Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s visit to the Parliament of Bangladesh ... the Indian External Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar approached the Speaker National Assembly and [shook] hands,” Pakistan’s National Assembly said in a post on social media platform X.
It added that Jaishankar introduced himself to Sadiq during the brief interaction. India has not commented publicly on the exchange.
“It is noteworthy that Pakistan has consistently emphasized dialogue, restraint, and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks,” the post continued.
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated in April after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 20 tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied, calling instead for an independent and transparent investigation.
Officials from both countries have largely avoided public interactions since the conflict, with senior figures refraining from handshakes or exchanges at international gatherings.
Sadiq was in Dhaka to attend Zia’s funeral and to convey condolences from Pakistan’s leadership and people. He also met Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to Pakistan’s high commission in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV, Sadiq confirmed that Jaishankar approached him in full media glare and exchanged pleasantries.
Responding to a question about being photographed with the Indian minister, he said: “Cameras arrived with them. Our people took the photographs later.”
