Ankara, 12 November 2016: In a simple and dignified ceremony at the President’s Office in Pristina, Ambassador of Pakistan Sohail Mahmood (resident in Ankara) presented credentials to the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaçi, on 11 November 2016. The shared commitment to comprehensively enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse fields was affirmed on the occasion.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood conveyed warm and cordial greetings of President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for the leadership and brotherly people of Kosovo. He added that Pakistan supported all efforts to strengthen international engagement as well as progress and prosperity of Kosovo and was desirous of deepening bilateral collaboration through increased high-level contacts, frequent consultations, and regular interface at the business-to-business and people-to-people levels.
President Hashim Thaçi, in his remarks, expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s continuous support to Kosovo and highlighted the assistance of Pakistan for the refugees during the Kosovo conflict in 1998-99. President Hashim Thaçi reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, with a particular focus on economic collaboration.
Later, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood called on Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj and had a detailed exchange of views on bilateral relations and cooperation in multilateral fora. The two sides pledged to pursue initiatives for strengthening mutual collaboration in the diplomatic, political, trade, investment, education, culture and people-to-people spheres. The resolve to expand bilateral cooperation by forging new legal frameworks and establishing necessary institutional mechanisms was affirmed. Views were also exchanged on regional and international issues as well as recent developments in the immediate neighbourhood of the two countries.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood also had a separate meeting with Director General (Political Affairs) Ambassador Albert Prenkaj at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during which ideas were exchanged on intensifying mutual collaboration in the bilateral and multilateral context.