Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), as Pakistan prepares for a series of diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the global gathering.
Dar was received by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Consul General in New York Aamer Ahmed Atozai, and officials from Pakistan’s UN mission and consulate.
According to the Foreign Office, Dar has a “full programme” of high-level engagements during his stay in New York from September 21 to 25. He will participate in ministerial forums and deliver Pakistan’s statements and interventions on bilateral, regional and international priorities.
The foreign minister will accompany Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the UNGA week and hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from several countries. The engagements are expected to provide an opportunity to discuss regional developments, international cooperation and issues of mutual interest.
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As part of his programme, Dar will attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, where the Foreign Office says he will reiterate Pakistan’s support for the right to self-determination of Kashmiris. He is also scheduled to participate in the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Annual Coordination Meeting and other OIC contact group sessions.
UNGA diplomacy will also include several high-level meetings focused on Palestine. According to the Foreign Office, Dar will attend a meeting of the Group of Eight Arab and Islamic countries and a ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, reflecting Pakistan’s stated position on the Palestinian issue.
Dar is further scheduled to address a UN Security Council high-level briefing on artificial intelligence and attend a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. He will also chair a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Council of Ministers.
The Foreign Office said Dar’s engagements would focus on Pakistan’s efforts for regional and international peace and stability, while allowing him to exchange views with other countries on major global and regional challenges.
Dar’s arrival follows his departure from Islamabad on Sunday for the five-day visit. Before travelling to New York, he held separate telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Iran and Malaysia, with both sides agreeing to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Pakistan’s delegation at the UNGA high-level segment is being led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to address issues including regional and global developments, sustainable development, climate change, counter-terrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges and UN reform.
