Ishaq Dar Steps Up Diplomacy With US, UK and China

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate meetings with the US, UK and China representatives to discuss regional developments, bilateral cooperation and peace efforts, urging full implementation of the Islamabad MoU. ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday intensified Pakistan's diplomatic engagement with key international partners, holding separate meetings with the United States Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong to discuss regional developments, bilateral ties and efforts to promote peace and stability. During his meeting with Baker, Dar welcomed the positive trajectory in Pakistan-US relations and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in achieving lasting peace. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dar stressed that the full implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding remained the way forward for addressing outstanding issues. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to regional peace and security while safeguarding its national interests. Baker appreciated Pakistan's constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability and conveyed her felicitations to Dar on Pakistan's Independence Day. In his meeting with British High Commissioner Marriott, Dar also welcomed the positive momentum in Pakistan-UK relations and recalled his recent meeting with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila. The two sides stressed the importance of sustained high-level contacts and discussed key areas of mutual interest as well as ways to expand bilateral cooperation. Dar again emphasised dialogue and diplomacy as the means to address regional and international disputes. The foreign minister also met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and conveyed condolences over the death of a Chinese mountaineer following an avalanche incident at Broad Peak in Gilgit-Baltistan. Dar assured the ambassador of Pakistan's full cooperation in facilitating the repatriation of the deceased's remains. Jiang appreciated Pakistan's prompt assistance and support following the tragedy and conveyed warm Independence Day greetings to Pakistan's leadership and people, reaffirming the two countries' close and time-tested ties. In a separate meeting with Pakistan's Ambassador-designate to Sweden Ahmed Amjad Ali, Dar directed him to focus on expanding Pakistan-Sweden economic relations, particularly in trade, investment, technology, renewable energy, agriculture, education and skills development. He called for stronger business-to-business linkages, greater investment and enhanced people-to-people contacts, while stressing the importance of efficient consular services for Pakistani students and the diaspora. The meetings come amid heightened diplomatic activity by Islamabad following the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 and Pakistan's continuing efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran. Dar has also discussed the regional situation with his Iranian and Kuwaiti counterparts, sharing the contours of the Makkah agreement and reiterating Pakistan's commitment to regional peace and security. The intensified diplomatic outreach also follows Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide's visit to Pakistan, during which he strongly endorsed Islamabad's mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, describing Pakistan's role as a 'service to the world.'