ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday highlighted the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for regional peace, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, following his meeting with the top United States (US) diplomat in Islamabad.
US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker held a meeting with FM Dar in Islamabad, wherein they discussed regional developments and bilateral cooperation, amid a stalemate in the US-Iran conflict in the Middle East.
The conflict has disrupted global oil and gas supplies as well as international trade through the Strait of Hormuz that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and a quarter of seaborne liquefied natural gas exports before the war began in late Feb.
Islamabad led a months-long diplomatic push to help reach an interim US-Iran peace deal in June to end the conflict, but President Donald Trump said it was “over” on July 7 and Iran’s foreign ministry later declared it “suspended,” following US strikes on Iran and Tehran’s attacks on US interests in the region.
“FM appreciated the positive trajectory in Pakistan-US relations and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for lasting peace,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
“He emphasized that the implementation of the Islamabad MoU of 18 June in letter and spirit is the only way forward.”
The June ceasefire agreement, also known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), set a 60-day period, extendable by mutual consent, within which Iran and the US were expected to reach a final deal limiting Tehran’s nuclear program and lifting US sanctions.
Both sides remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war.
During their meeting, the US chargé d’affaires appreciated Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability and conveyed felicitations to the FM Dar on Pakistan’s Independence Day, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and security while safeguarding its national interests, it added.
