Phnom Penh, 4 August 2022 (TDI): Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the first of the three-day 29th Ministerial meeting of the ASEAN regional forum (ARF) in Cambodia.
Bilawal Bhutto is leading the Pakistan delegation in the meeting. Foreign Ministers and representatives of the 27 ARF member countries gathered to attend this meeting.
We @PakinCambodia welcome the Honourable Foreign Minister of 🇵🇰, H.E Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on his trip to the Kingdom of #Cambodia to attend the #ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting. @PeacePalaceKH @ForeignOfficePk. pic.twitter.com/9U4omrgVx8
— Babar Thaheem 🇵🇰 🇰🇭 (@Babar_82) August 3, 2022
“In Phnom Penh, the Foreign Minister will also meet the Prime Minister of Cambodia and have bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts on the sidelines,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan stated yesterday.
The Foreign Minister took part in discussions on Asia-Pacific-related political and security problems at the ARF Ministerial. He further discussed the goal of advancing cooperative discourse and joint solutions.
On the margins, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will further meet in private with several of his colleagues. The ASEAN Regional Forum is a crucial forum for discussions among Asia Pacific nations on regional peace and security issues.
Also Read: Foreign Ministers of China, Greece meet in Phnom Penh
During his brief visit to Chittagong, on his way to Phnom Penh, the Bangladeshi Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Hasan Mahmud greeted Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Additionally, the two Ministers swapped books as a form of gifts from their respective nations. The Pakistani Foreign Minister remained at the airport for around 40 minutes.
He also complimented Dr. AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, and the Bangladeshi people when passing through Chittagong.
ASEAN Regional Forum
The Association of South East Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1994. It is a platform for the Indo-Pacific nations to discuss ongoing issues and cooperative measures to enhance regional development.
The ARF is characterized by consensus-based decision-making and open dialogue. It has 27 members, including 10 ASEAN member states and 10 ASEAN dialogue partners. Pakistan has been an active member of the forum since the beginning.
ARF can prove beneficial to improve relationships between Pakistan and other Pacific countries for regional development and prosperity.
