ISLAMABAD:
Ambassadors posted in key global capitals and multilateral forums on Tuesday held internal discussions chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of External Affairs to fine-tune Pakistan’s foreign policy in view of the multiple challenges facing the country.
Instead of holding the expanded envoys’ conference this year, the Foreign Ministry meeting was attended only by ambassadors stationed in certain capitals, including Washington, Moscow, Beijing, New York, Geneva, Afghanistan and others.
Sources told The Express PAkGazette that the envoys were in Pakistan for a separate meeting called by other interested parties. Only a select group of ambassadors, mostly serving in multilateral forums such as the UN, were invited to the meeting.
To take advantage of his presence in Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs also organized its session chaired by Dar.
Sources said the discussions mainly focused on the challenges facing the country in view of Trump 2.0, the situation in Afghanistan, ties with China, among other topics.
Donald Trump will arrive at the White House on January 20 after his surprising victory in the November presidential election. Its unpredictable and fickle nature has put the world on edge.
Pakistan, a country that is no longer a priority for the United States, may face many new challenges.
The Pakistani envoy in Washington gave his assessment of the relationship between Pakistan and the United States under the incoming president.
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of Pakistan’s envoys on key multilateral and bilateral missions.
“The meeting was also attended by Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and other foreign secretaries and senior directors general of the ministry. The envoys shared their assessments and views on regional and global developments and inputs for policy priorities exterior by 2025 and beyond.
“In his opening speech, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs shared the vision of a dynamic foreign policy in its bilateral and multilateral dimensions.
“He underlined Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its relations with countries around the world and urged the envoys to play their role in enhancing Pakistan’s international profile and developing its international partnerships,” he said.
The annual meeting of Pakistan’s envoys is a regular event at the Ministry of External Affairs to discuss the various facets of Pakistan’s foreign policy and its coherent implementation.
But this year it was a shorter version of the conference, with many envoys stationed in countries such as the United Kingdom, Iran and India conspicuous by their absence.
