ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday invited the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to attend a Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting to be hosted by Islamabad next month.
The OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organization in the world after the UN. It consists of 57 Muslim member states spread across four continents. The OIC is considered the collective voice of Muslim countries around the world and aims to promote the interests of its member states.
The CFM is an annual event held to adopt decisions and policies of the OIC by member states. It also reviews implementation or progress made on the decisions that were taken during previous summits.
OIC foreign ministers were last in Islamabad in December for the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers. The session, called by Saudi Arabia, was focused on the economic crisis in Afghanistan.
“I am here at the OIC Expo 2020 Pavilion in Dubai and I have come here to invite my colleagues and friends, foreign ministers of the OIC member states, to visit us in Islamabad on the 22nd and 23rd of March for the 48th session of the CFM,” FM Qureshi said in a video message.
“The people of Pakistan are looking forward to your visit and are anxious to receive you. Welcome to Islamabad.”
Qureshi had last month announced that Pakistan would host the 48th session of the CFM in Islamabad where the foreign ministers of Muslim member states would be invited to witness the military parade on March 23, held each year to mark Pakistan Day.
Pakistan invites OIC foreign ministers to annual meeting in Islamabad
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Pakistan invites OIC foreign ministers to annual meeting in Islamabad
- Pakistan will host 48th annual OIC Council of Foreign Ministers conference from March 22-23 in Islamabad
- “People of Pakistan looking forward to your visit, anxious to receive you,” Qureshi says at OIC pavilion
Pakistan PM speaks to UAE president, calls for enhanced cooperation
- Shehbaz Sharif lauds UAE’s economic support in challenging times
- Both leaders discuss a range of issues, agree to stay in close contact
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised the United Arab Emirates for what he described as steadfast financial and political support during Islamabad’s recent economic crisis, as both sides signaled plans to deepen bilateral cooperation.
In a statement issued after Sharif spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and agreed to stay in close contact.
“The Prime Minister lauded the UAE’s consistent and unwavering support to Pakistan, that had helped the country navigate through difficult challenges,” the statement said, adding the two leaders “reaffirmed their shared desire to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.”
The UAE, along with other friendly nations in the region, provided critical financial assistance to the South Asian country during a balance-of-payments crisis that strained Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves and pressured its currency. Islamabad subsequently secured an International Monetary Fund program as part of broader stabilization efforts.
Sharif, in a post on X, described the exchange as positive.
“We fondly recalled our recent meetings and reaffirmed our shared resolve to further strengthen the historic, fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” he wrote.
Millions of Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, forming one of the largest expatriate communities in the Gulf state.
Remittances from the UAE rank among Pakistan’s top sources of foreign currency inflows and play a significant role in supporting the country’s external accounts.
UAE-based companies are also investing in Pakistan, helping Islamabad develop its seaports to facilitate regional trade.
