Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a phone call with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, on Monday during which both leaders discussed the ongoing situation in Ukraine and exchanged views on bilateral relations, as well as regional issues, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

Over the past few weeks, tensions between Moscow and the West have escalated, with the US warning of an imminent Russian attack on Ukraine.

Washington and other Western capitals say that Russia has amassed more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders and is ready to launch a full-scale assault.

Moscow denies any intention to invade its neighbour but has demanded that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance permanently rule out Ukraine's bid for membership and called for the withdrawal of Western forces deployed in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

In the latest development on this front, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden have agreed to a summit — to be held only if Moscow does not invade Ukraine, France announced today.

Afghan crisis

The FO said Qureshi and Baerbock also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, following the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

"Discussing Afghanistan, the foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to support the international community in its efforts to strengthen peace and stability" in the war-torn country, the FO said.

It added that Qureshi also highlighted Islamabad's role in evacuation operations in Afghanistan and informed Baerbock that Pakistan had facilitated over 90,000 evacuations so far.

"The urgent need is to avert a humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Afghanistan, which will adversely impact stability in the region and beyond," the statement quoted Qureshi as saying.

Qureshi also briefed her on "grave human rights violations being committed by India after its illegal, unilateral action of August 5, 2019, [in occupied Kashmir]".

The FO statement added that the German foreign minister appreciated Pakistan's assistance for evacuations from Afghanistan and hoped for its continued support in this regard.

Bilateral ties

Moreover, Qureshi conveyed to Baerbock that Germany was a valued, longstanding partner of Pakistan and the latter was committed to further enhancing bilateral relations in all dimensions, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, energy, climate change and radicalisation.

He congratulated Baerbock on recently assuming her office, the FO said, adding that Qureshi also invited her to visit Pakistan at her earliest convenience.

Qureshi said her visit would be "helpful in preparing for Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Germany".

The FO statement further stated that Pakistan and Germany had maintained a "good trajectory of bilateral relations and remain committed to further enhance our cooperation".

The two countries celebrated 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2021, it added.