FM Dar assures UN chief of Pakistan's 'continued engagement and dialogue' to restore peace in region

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is on a two-day visit to New York, met United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, with both sides discussing the situation in the Middle East, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday. DPM Dar arrived in New York a day earlier. In its statement, the FO said that during the meeting, DPM Dar lauded the UN chief’s “steadfast commitment to the UN and multilateralism” and also expressed appreciation for his “continued support and strong cooperation” with Pakistan. As per the statement, the two leaders discussed regional developments, including the situation in the Middle East and West Asia, during which Dar thanked Guterres for his “principled position and support” for Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the US-Iran war. DPM Dar also “highlighted Pakistan’s successful hosting of the Islamabad Talks in April, which represented an important diplomatic breakthrough,” and said the April 8 Pakistan-brokered ceasefire continued to remain in place. Dar assured the UN chief of Pakistan’s “continued engagement and dialogue” to restore peace in the region. As per FO, Dar “reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to upholding the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and advancing international peace and security through constructive engagement at the UN”. FO further stated that Dar also appreciated the UN chief’s leadership in the UN80 initiative, stressing that the interests of the developing countries should remain “central” to the initiative. The U80 initiative aims to “streamline operations, sharpen impact, and reaffirm the UN’s relevance for a rapidly changing world,” as per the UN’s website. In his meeting with Guterres, Dar also stressed the need for “strengthening conflict prevention, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts in line with evolving global realities”. He maintained that a comprehensive reform process should be based on “principles of sovereign equality, tr