Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on 18 May 2021 in Ankara. The Foreign Minister is visiting Turkey to exchange views on the worsening situation in the Israeli Occupied Palestinian Territories.
During the meeting, the two Foreign Ministers discussed ways to mobilize the international community to help stop Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. It was reaffirmed that the international community had a collective responsibility in ensuring necessary steps to help address the dire situation, restore peace, and facilitate a just solution.
The Foreign Minister apprised his Turkish counterpart of the sentiment prevailing in Pakistan in support of the people of Palestine including the resolution unanimously adopted by the National Assembly of Pakistan.
While taking stock of the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, the two sides discussed the ongoing preparations for the 7th Session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) that will be held in Turkey this year.
Foreign Minister Qureshi also reiterated appreciation for Turkey’s principled and steadfast support on the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
Underscoring Pakistan’s abiding interest in a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi illustrated Pakistan’s consistent efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process. He expressed the hope that the Afghan parties would seize the opportunity and workout an inclusive politically-negotiated settlement. The Foreign Minister also lauded Turkey’s valuable efforts to re-energize the Afghan peace process.
The Foreign Minister and the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Palestine and other countries, will be traveling to New York to participate in-person in a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Palestine issue.
Earlier, the Saudi Foreign Minister had convened a meeting of the OIC Executive Committee on Sunday to discuss the situation in Palestine. The Foreign Minister, as a member of the Executive Committee, had also addressed the meeting.
As part of Pakistan’s diplomatic endeavours, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Qureshi have reached out to a number of countries including Palestine, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia and others.