FO says Pakistan wants peace atmosphere | No major developments in Pak-India relations | Relations with US continue to advance | Pak-Russia relations maintain positive trajectory.

ISLAMABAD  -   Pakistan yesterday said that 2023 was an active year for Pakistan’s diplomacy, increasing Pakistan’s international profile and building relations with countries in all regions of the world with frequent high-level exchanges and visits.

Speaking at a year-ender news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during the first half of 2023, former Prime Minister undertook official visits to Azerbaijan, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

“Former Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Iraq, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. While Former Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar undertook official visits to Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Uzbekistan, and the United Kingdom,” she elaborated.

In the later half of 2023, she said, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar undertook bilateral visits to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. He attended important multilateral conferences in China, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Incumbent Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani visited China, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom to attend multilateral conferences and Meetings. In London, he chaired the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting, she added.

She said Pakistan also hosted high level delegations from Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.

The spokesperson said Pakistan continued to pursue active multilateral diplomacy in 2023. “There was sustained engagement with the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organization and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. We are encouraged with the results of our diplomatic efforts in multilateral settings,” she added.

At the beginning of the year, she said, Pakistan hosted the International Conference on Climate-resilient Pakistan in Geneva in collaboration with the United Nations to gain support for Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2022. 

She said Pakistan won elections of several important multilateral bodies and institutions. These included: membership of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission; Executive Council of the OPCW; Vice-Chair of UNESCO Executive Board; and Chair of the Conference of Parties of Chemical Weapons Convention.

“We continued to reinforce our traditional partnerships with China, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and the wider Islamic world. These relationships are based on mutual trust and friendship and characterized by a tradition of robust dialogue and exchange of bilateral visits,” she explained.

Pakistan and China reaffirmed commitment to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which completed ten years in 2023. Bilateral engagement and cooperation remained robust. The two countries held bilateral consultation mechanisms on consular, maritime affairs, counter-terrorism, arms control and nuclear proliferation, she said.

Baloch said relations with Türkiye continued to advance with high- level exchanges and cooperation. A significant outcome this year was the culmination of the MILGEM Class Corvette project initiated in 2018.

She said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continued to maintain high-level dialogue and strategic engagement. In 2023, several important understandings and agreements were reached to bolster bilateral trade and investment especially in energy and IT sectors.

“With the establishment of SIFC, economic cooperation and engaged with GCC countries gained momentum, especially in the domain of energy and information technology. Pakistan-GCC agreed to conclude free trade agreement which will be the first such Free Trade Agreement (FTA) concluded by the GCC with any country,” she said.

The spokesperson said relations with the United States continued to advance bilateral dialogue and cooperation. In addition to exchange of high-level visits and meetings, the two countries held 9th TIFA Ministerial Council and dialogues on Climate Change and Environment; Health, Energy security; Counter-Terrorism, and Defence.

She said Pakistan-Russia relations maintained a positive trajectory as the two countries exchanged several high-level visits. Inter- Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Bilateral Political Consultations were also held during the year.

“Our region remains an important focus of our foreign policy. Pakistan has consistently expressed its desire to see a peaceful, prosperous, stable and connected Afghanistan. 

So that Afghanistan emerges as a trade and energy-connectivity conduit to our region,” she said. Baloch said as a firm adherent of regional approaches to the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan participated in meetings and mechanisms aimed at promoting peace in Afghanistan. She said 2023 was a significant year in Pakistan-Iran relations. “In May 2023, the two sides inaugurated ‘Mand-Pishin Border Sustenance Marketplace’ and ‘220 kV Polan-Gabd Electricity Transmission Line’ projects. The two sides agreed to institutionalize Bilateral Economic Consultations and signed the five Year Strategic Trade Cooperation Plan (2023-28) in June that envisages achieving bilateral trade target of US $ 5 billion,” she said. She further said:

“In pursuance of our vision of regional connectivity and mutual prosperity, Pakistan also continued its robust engagement with countries in Central Asia. Within the context of ECO, Pakistan promoted regional cooperation in trade, transport, connectivity, energy, tourism and economic growth and productivity. In 2023, Pakistan continued to cooperate and engage with our partners in Europe to develop deeper economic collaboration, cooperation in climate action and finding opportunities in higher education and employment. We also continued to engage with EU on the importance and utility of Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).” 

She mentioned that there were no major developments in Pakistan-India relations. “A Hindutva inspired nationalist government continues to act as a regional bully and create hurdles in development of normal bilateral relations. Pakistan has consistently maintained that bilateral relations cannot fully normalize until the resolution of the outstanding disputes, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, Pakistan issued 6824 visas to Sikh and Hindu Indian pilgrims from India to visit Pakistan to attend various religious festivals and occasions. Pakistan released 486 Indian prisoners this year of which 380 were civilians and rest were fishermen,” she underlined.

She said India continued to use its military might to suppress the people of IIOJK. Throughout the year, Pakistan raised its voice for the people of Kashmir at all relevant bilateral and regional forums.