ISLAMABAD: The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday praised Pakistan’s role in mediating between the United States and Iran, saying Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts helped prevent a return to “full-blown war” and were widely recognized across Europe.
Kallas was speaking at a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. EU’s EU high representative for foreign affairs arrived in Islamabad on Monday to co-chair the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue meeting to review bilateral ties and cooperation across various sectors such as trade, investment, human rights, labor mobility, climate change and others.
Pakistan has positioned itself as the chief mediator between the US and Iran ever since their conflict began in February. Islamabad hosted the first round of talks between both sides in April while it has relayed messages between Washington and Tehran in hopes of ending the war that has driven global oil prices higher and disrupted energy supplies.
“Pakistan has been the main mediator between the United States and Iran, and your diplomatic efforts have helped to prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions,” Kallas told reporters during the joint press conference.
“And these efforts are much recognized and appreciated across Europe.”
Iran has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in February, pushing prices of petroleum products and fertilizers higher. The US has demanded Iran reopen the strait, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass through.
Kallas noted that with Islamabad’s efforts, there is a “tenuous diplomatic opening” to extend the fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Yet any temporary understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Iran’s nuclear stockpile and other critical issues,” she said. “Lasting stability will require more encompassing solutions.”
Dar thanked Kallas for recognizing Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts, vowing to continue to work for a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Middle East conflict.
He said the two sides reviewed their bilateral cooperation under various sectors of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019, including trade, investment and development, human rights and rule of law, migration and mobility, security and counterterrorism.
“EU is among Pakistan’s major trade partners with a trade volume of around $12 billion,” Dar said. “Pakistan-EU trade cooperation under GSP Plus framework is a win-win template.”
The GSP Plus scheme grants countries’ exports duty-free access to the European market in exchange for voluntarily agreeing to implement 27 international core conventions, including those on human and civil rights.
The European External Action Service (EEAS), EU’s diplomatic service, said in a statement last week that Kallas would meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir during her visit.
She would also meet representatives of think thanks and academia in Pakistan during her visit to the country.
