Islamabad, 21 October 2021 (TDI): Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Sohail Mahmood, met a delegation of representatives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The delegation was led by NATO’s Senior Civil Representative to Afghanistan, Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo. The meeting took place on 20th October at Foreign Office Islamabad.
The meeting boiled down to a discussion on emerging developments in Afghanistan.
Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood shared Pakistan’s perspective on Afghanistan. He also highlighted the assistance rendered by Pakistan in this regard. He added Pakistan facilitated the successful evacuation of diplomatic personnel and embassy staff from Afghanistan.
The Foreign Secretary also underscored the need for positive engagement of the international community in Afghanistan. He stated leaving Afghanistan alone at this critical juncture will lead to chaos and instability. He further added international assistance is imperative for averting an economic and humanitarian crisis in Kabul, as well as, maintaining regional peace and stability.
Moreover, Ambassador Stefano thanked the government of Pakistan for assisting in the evacuation of NATO personnel from Kabul.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan, the country highly values its relations with NATO grounded in mutual interests of peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan-NATO Relations
NATO has nine partners across the globe. Pakistan is one of them. Over the years, Pakistan and NATO have increased their cooperation. Several high-level political exchanges took place between the two sides. The country also supported NATO’s operations International Security Assistance and Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Additionally, the two sides engage annually in military-to-military staff talks. Pakistan’s military officers also participate in a series of academic and training activities provided by NATO.
As per NATO’s 2030 Agenda, chalked out in NATO Brussels 2021 Summit, the organization aims to strengthen its relations with its ‘global partners’. The visit of the NATO delegation to Pakistan is part of its outreach to ‘global partners’.
During the visit to Pakistan, Ambassador Stefano also held a meeting Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
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