ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday called for dialogue to end the United States-Israeli war on Iran and restore peace in the Middle East, Sharif said on X.
The statement came a day after Islamabad said both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks and it was preparing to host “meaningful” negotiations in the coming days.
It followed a quadrilateral meeting between foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt in Islamabad to discuss the crisis that has disrupted global energy and cargo supplies and threatened regional economies.
In a post on X, the Pakistan prime minister said he received a telephone call from Costa on Monday afternoon, during which he briefed the European Council president on Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts, which Costa “welcomed and supported.”
“We exchanged views on the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and agreed that dialogue and diplomacy must prevail in order to restore regional peace and stability,” Sharif said.
Pakistan has served as a go-between for messages passed between Iranian and US officials since the beginning of the conflict late last month, which has disrupted global energy and cargo supplies and threatened regional economies.
Separately, Costa said he had held a ‘good call’ with Sharif regarding the war in Iran.
“Good call today with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif to hear his assessment on the Iran war, as well as the outcome of the recent consultations between the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye held in Islamabad,” he wrote on X.
“The EU is gravely concerned over the prolongation of the war and its increasing global impact.”
Sharif also said that he discussed with Costa the strengthening of Pakistan-EU relations, including the importance of GSP+ scheme that grants beneficiary countries’ exports duty-free access to the European market as well as the upcoming Pakistan-EU Business Forum scheduled to be held in Islamabad in end-April.
“I look forward to visiting Brussels at a mutually convenient date,” Sharif added.
