Islamabad, 29 March 2022 (TDI): The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, received a telephone call from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine.
In response to the recent developments in Ukraine, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed profound concern that the armed confrontation was still ongoing and underlined Pakistan’s principled support for an immediate cessation of hostilities and resolution of the issue through dialogue and diplomacy.
Khan said that he had stressed the conflict’s adverse economic impact on developing nations, as seen by rising oil and commodity prices.
He also stressed the need for humanitarian aid for civilians, stating that Pakistan had deployed two C-130 planes carrying humanitarian aid to people in Ukraine.
Recalling the latest OIC-CFM summit in Islamabad, the Prime Minister stated that the Foreign Ministers of Islamic nations voiced grave concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The Foreign Ministers demanded an immediate end of hostilities and underlined the OIC’s commitment to help and aid the peace process.
He emphasized the importance of non-partisan nations like Pakistan in bolstering efforts for a cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic settlement.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also praised Ukrainian authorities for their assistance in evacuating Pakistani students, nationals, and Embassy personnel. He also praised other countries’ efforts to facilitate a diplomatic solution.
Pakistan-Ukraine relations:
Pakistan-Ukraine connections were established before Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. The relations between the two countries have shifted from Conventional Diplomacy to Public Diplomacy since 2018. Pakistan has built close commercial and military connections with Ukraine in recent years and also supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Ukraine and Pakistan have been collaborating in different fields of education and cultural exchanges. Pakistan has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has a consulate in Islamabad and honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore.
