ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar discussed regional peace and stability on Monday after their interior ministers met in Doha, as mediators from the two countries sought to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations following a pause in hostilities.
The meeting came amid reports that mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran and revive an interim peace framework, signed last month, which collapsed due to renewed fighting in the Gulf region over the last few weeks.
The 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was prepared after months of efforts, allowing both the US and Iran a 60-day period to hold negotiations over a range of outstanding issues and reach a final settlement to the conflict.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani also focused on bilateral cooperation during the meeting, according to an official statement circulated in Islamabad.
“The two interior ministers ... discussed the current regional situation and peace and stability,” the statement said.
The meeting took place as diplomatic efforts gathered pace following a three-day lull in fighting between the US and Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran had sought further discussions after weeks of military exchanges.
“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen.”
Iran has denied that direct negotiations are underway.
Two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, told the Associated Press that mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were trying to revive the Islamabad MoU to help the two sides reach the end of the war.
It was decided during the Doha meeting to strengthen cooperation and partnership between Pakistan and Qatar in internal security.
