|
|
|
| March 09, 2007 | Friday | Safar 19, 1428 |
Envoys discuss key issues
ISLAMABAD, March 8: A two-day consultative meeting of Pakistani envoys from key world capitals opened here on Thursday to take up major foreign policy challenges currently facing the country.
The meeting that took place at the Foreign Office brought together Pakistan’s ambassadors to the US, Britain, Afghanistan, Iran, India, China, France and Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
On the first day closed-door deliberations revolved around Pakistan-US relations, “war on terror”, Afghanistan, Indo-Pakistan peace process, Iran crisis, Iraq and Pakistan’s Middle East initiative, sources privy to the meeting told Dawn.
Foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri and foreign secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan were present at the brainstorming session as were additional foreign secretaries of the relevant divisions.
Mr Kasuri gave the envoys a detailed briefing on the president’s evolving Middle East peace initiative. Later the envoys made presentations to give their perspective on various issues of concern, particularly in the context of bilateral relations. National security matters also figured in the discussions.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran informed the meeting about the particular concerns the Iranians have about the President’s Middle East peace initiative, sources said.
Those who participated in the meeting were Munir Akram (UN), Mahmood Durrani (US), Salman Bashir (China), Dr Maleeha Lodhi (UK), Shahid Malik (India), ambassador-designate Asma Anisa (France), Tariq Azizudin (Afghanistan) and Shafqat Saeed (Iran).
Significantly, the internal consultations on Pakistan’s foreign policy take place just ahead of the second round of Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue and the fourth round of the Pakistan-India Composite Dialogue.
The envoys called on President Gen Pervez Musharraf later in the afternoon and exchanged views with him on key foreign policy matters. The president emphasised the need to pursue a meaningful foreign policy without compromising the country’s national interests.
He told the envoys that the objective of his Middle East peace initiative was to facilitate resolution of issues in the region and said he was taking Iran along as an important country in the region.
When contacted, the Foreign Office spokesperson told Dawn that it was just an “informal brainstorming session” on foreign policy matters. She said no formal recommendations would be made.—QA
|
|
|
|
