Pakistan could help de-escalate tension in area, says FM Qureshi

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Kuwait, Pakistan seek closer ties

KUWAIT CITY, May 19, (KUNA): Pakistan expressed readiness to facilitate in deescalating tension in the region and support peace and stability, visiting Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said. In an interview with KUNA Sunday, Qureshi said “we are concerned about rising tension between the US and Iran, Pakistan would always be supportive of peace and stability, we would be more than happy to facilitate in de-escalation and I am sure Kuwait is equally interested in de-escalation.”

The minister noted, however, “relations between Kuwait and Pakistan have been historically cordial, and politically we have had excellent relations, we have been supporting each other at the regional level and on many global issues our policies on a number of issues are common, and our approach on many regional issues, on the issue of Palestine, they are close to each other.”

Qureshi meanwhile said Kuwait wanted the settlement of the Kashmir dispute according to UN Security Council resolutions. In terms of Kuwait role in the Security Council, Qureshi said “I think they played a very balancing and a very mature role, especially during the recent standoff between India and Pakistan … and they helped de-escalate and defuse tensions.”

With regard to his visit to Kuwait, the minister said, “I’m here in Kuwait to build a comprehensive economic relationship, because there are 105,000 Pakistanis who have contributed to the economic development of Kuwait and I feel that we can facilitate more, by sending skilled and semi-skilled manpower to Kuwait, for further economic development.

“One of the issues that I intend to talk about is how to enhance our economic relationship, the other was to exchange thoughts and get input from the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister on some of the evolving regional developments that are of mutual interests.”

Thirdly, the minister said he is scheduled to meet with the Deputy Premier and Interior Minister. Qureshi is on a two-day official visit for talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and other senior officials. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah met visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his accompanying delegation on Sunday.

They considered close relations between both friendly countries and ways of promoting and developing them in all fields. Both ministers also discussed a number of issues pertinent to bilateral coordination and ways of addressing various regional challenges, the latest regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest. Present at the meeting were Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Khaled Al-Jarallah, Assistant Foreign Minister for the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s Office Ambassador Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Ambassador Ali Al-Said, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Pakistan Nasser Al-Mutairi and several other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry.

By Mohammad Al-Badah

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