FM Meets His Saudi Counterpart, Discusses Bilateral Relations

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to discuss bilateral relations and other aspects, including COVID-19.

According to a statement issued by Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had an informal meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan during the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niamey, Niger.

“During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional issues, cooperation at various levels and COVID-19 were discussed,” the statement said.

The Foreign Minister congratulated the Saudi leadership on holding a successful G-20 Summit.

The Foreign Office said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have strong foundations and long-standing relations.

According to the statement, the two sides agreed to further strengthen economic cooperation, including in bilateral trade and energy.

Announcing the details of the meeting, the Foreign Office said in a statement that “the two Foreign Ministers discussed the importance of the OIC as an important platform for the Muslim Ummah and its role in the Kashmir dispute.”

Shah Mehmood Qureshi briefed his Saudi counterpart on the deteriorating situation in India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and thanked Saudi Arabia for its principled and unequivocal support for the Kashmir issue.

According to a Foreign Office statement, “Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that Saudi Arabia has fraternal strategic relations with Pakistan.”

He praised Pakistan’s role for peace and stability in the region.

The two leaders agreed on high-level exchanges to boost bilateral ties in various fields.

Earlier, there were media reports that the Kashmir issue was not included in the agenda of the OIC meeting, which was strongly criticized.

Later, Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry had said during the weekly briefing that irresponsible rumours were being spread about the absence of Kashmir issue in the agenda of the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting. Is a constant item on the agenda.

He said it was part of a false Indian propaganda and misinformation campaign.

He said the organization had been raising the issue for decades through various meetings and resolutions of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

The spokesperson said that the OIC has been active on the issue since India’s illegal and unilateral move on August 5, 2019.

“The OIC Contact Group of Jammu and Kashmir has met three times in the last 15 months and its last meeting was at the level of Foreign Ministers in June this year,” he said.

The Foreign Office spokesman said that the Council of Foreign Ministers in Niger was the first such meeting since India’s illegal and unilateral actions on August 5, 2019, and that the session was expected to reiterate its full support for the Kashmir issue.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said, “I will confirm that the Kashmir issue has long been a topic on the OIC agenda.”