ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that the United Nations should not lose sight of its real goals and any formula for the expansion of the UN Security Council has to be democratic, representative and transparent.

“In effect, it should serve to unite the entire membership of the United Nations rather than divide it,” he added.

He was talking to the visiting Foreign Minister of Guinea Sidibe Fatoumata Kaba who paid a courtesy call on him here Friday.

Ms Kaba agreed on the need for a consensus approach and said that the proposed expansion of the UNSC was but a part of the larger process of the reform of the United Nations.

The two sides agreed that their countries would continue to closely cooperate on that and other international issues both within the United Nations and other international forums.

Ms Kaba said that one of the major factors bringing Pakistan and Guinea together was Islam and added that the Guinean government shared Pakistan’s concern over the perceived identification of Islam with terrorism.

The prime minister agreed that the image badly needed to be changed as Islam was actually a religion of peace and tolerance. He said: “It is unfortunate that a handful of religious extremists through their actions have created the grossly distorted image of Islam.”

Mr Aziz said that Pakistan was proud to have contributed to peace and stability in the African region through the contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping forces operating in the trouble spots of Africa.

On the bilateral front, he assured Ms Kaba of Pakistan’s continued support to Guinea’s development through the mechanism of Pakistan’s Special Technical Assistance to Africa.

He also agreed with the Guinean suggestion that bilateral cooperation be given an institutional framework and said that a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint commission as proposed by Ms Kaba could shortly be signed.