ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and chief of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments, the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday, with both leaders reaffirming support for the people of Palestine and Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan and the OIC have backed each other when it comes to supporting the right of the people of Palestine and Indian-administered Kashmir to self-determination. India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over Kashmir, an internationally disputed Himalayan territory that both neighbors claim but administer only parts of.

Pakistan and the OIC also have a unified stance in demanding an end to Israeli occupation in the Middle East. Islamabad has for long demanded a two-state solution that results in an independent Palestinian state, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

Dar met OIC Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on the sidelines of the ongoing two-day Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Islamabad, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

“Both sides agreed to maintain close cooperation within the OIC and reiterated their steadfast support for the peoples of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir and the realization of their right to self-determination,” the statement said.

Dar welcomed Ahmed on his first visit to Islamabad since assuming office and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening the OIC as a “unified and effective” voice of the Muslim Ummah.

“He assured the Secretary General of Pakistan’s continued support and cooperation in advancing the Organization’s objectives,” the foreign office said.

The OIC chief appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during the Iran–US conflict to promote peace and stability in the region, the statement said.

He also commended Pakistan’s active role in the OIC, the foreign office said, including its contributions through COMSTECH to promoting scientific and technological cooperation among member states.

Pakistan is hosting the two-day ECO Council of Ministers meeting in Islamabad being chaired by Dar. The summit is being attended by foreign ministers and heads of delegations of ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and its subsidiary bodies.

Pakistan’s foreign office has said the summit will provide an opportunity for Islamabad to reinvigorate the ECO’s role as an effective platform for regional cooperation, dialogue and economic collaboration, it added.