Pakistan starts new year with diplomatic push with Arab nations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's foreign office listed a number of diplomatic engagements with Arab countries since the beginning of the year in its weekly media briefing on Thursday.
The country has always enjoyed close defense, diplomatic and economic relations with Middle Eastern nations, though it has tried to further strengthened these ties under the current dispensation.
Addressing a news conference, the ministry's spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf visited Pakistan on the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on January 5.
"Besides delegation-level talks with the foreign minister, the secretary general met with the minister for finance and revenue, and prime minister’s advisor for commerce and investment," he said. "The visit provided an opportunity to review Pak-GCC relations and foster enhanced collaboration in diverse fields, with a renewed focus on trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and GCC member states."
Ahmad said a "strong business delegation" led by the chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industries also visited the country and met the president, prime minister and other senior government functionaries, adding the interactions "imparted further impetus to bilateral economic relationship" between the two countries.
Apart from that, the Pakistani foreign minister inaugurated an international seminar on combating corruption, human rights and sustainable development which was organized in collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission and the United Nation in Islamabad.
"The international seminar was attended by more than 200 international and national stakeholders," said the foreign office spokesperson. "Based on its deliberations, the Islamabad Declaration on Combating Corruption for the full realization of all Human Rights and Sustainable Development was adopted. The Seminar was part of Pakistan’s persistent efforts to strengthen international framework against corruption, recovery of stolen assets, promotion and protection of all human rights, and achievement of inclusive and sustainable development."
He added a 25-member delegation of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College from Saudi Arabia also visited the foreign ministry on January 10.
"The delegation was briefed on key aspects of Pakistan’s foreign policy including our commitment to forge deeper cooperation with Saudi Arabia," he continued.
The Pakistani foreign minister recently announced that the country was scheduled to hold the next OIC meeting in its federal capital on March 22, adding that delegates from Muslim countries would also be invited attend the country's 75th Republic Day parade the next day as state guests.