Curtain Raiser: Foreign Minister’s visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia

On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be embarking on visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia tomorrow.

While in Tehran, the Foreign Minister will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and exchange views on the evolving situation in the Middle East/Gulf region. He will visit Riyadh on 13 January to hold talks with Saudi Foreign Minister H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and consult on the issues of regional peace and stability.

The recent developments seriously endanger peace and security in an already volatile region and underscore the need for immediate and collective efforts for a peaceful resolution.

During these visits, the Foreign Minister will share Pakistan’s perspective on the current situation, stress the imperative of avoiding any conflict, underscore the importance of defusion of tensions, and stress the need for finding a diplomatic way forward.

The Foreign Minister will convey Pakistan’s readiness to support all efforts that facilitate resolution of differences and disputes through political and diplomatic means.

Islamabad

11 January 2020

19/2020