ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the principles and objectives of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) charter for the welfare of the people of the region, economic integration and regional prosperity.

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The foreign minister received Secretary-General SAARC Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, who is on his first visit to Pakistan since assuming office in March 2020, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

During their meeting, FM said Pakistan believed SAARC could provide a conducive, and congenial atmosphere to build economic synergies and transform the quality of life of the people of South Asia.

The foreign minister recalled the role played by Pakistan in realizing the true potential of SAARC and making it a useful organization for regional cooperation and mutual benefit based on the principle of sovereign equality.

He reassured the secretary-general of Pakistan’s strong support for regional cooperation and urged him to accelerate the pace of the SAARC process.

FM Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to hosting the SAARC summit when the artificial obstacles created in its way would be removed.

Expressing condolences on the death of Priyantha Kumara, the foreign minister said that the entire political leadership, religious scholars and Pakistani nation had condemned the incident and the government of Pakistan was determined to take all necessary steps to bring perpetrators to justice.

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The SAARC secretary-general thanked the foreign minister for sharing his views on different SAARC related issues. He also assured FM to make concerted efforts to strengthen cooperation among the member states to realize the full potential of SAARC.