Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar engaged in discussions concerning bilateral trade and other areas of mutual interest with his counterparts from Turkey and Azerbaijan during the sidelines of the 15th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Banjul, Gambia, on Sunday.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, arrived in the West African nation on Wednesday to lead Pakistan’s delegation at the OIC summit, where he aims to raise concerns regarding Gaza and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) from May 4 to 5.
In his meeting with Turkey’s FM Hakan Fidan, discussions revolved around the strong relations between the two countries and the commitment to bolster bilateral ties, particularly in economic, trade, and defense sectors.
Subsequently, Dar met with Azerbaijan’s FM Jeyhun Bayramov, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people contacts. They also emphasized the importance of political dialogue.
Dar also extended congratulations to the Azeri counterpart on securing the bid to host the COP29 summit and expressed Pakistan’s willingness to collaborate on climate change issues. He further appreciated Baku’s principled stance on IIOJK.
These high-level discussions align with the Foreign Office’s earlier statement, indicating Dar’s intention to hold bilateral meetings with dignitaries from member countries participating in the Summit.
In preceding days, Dar also held discussions with delegates from various nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, and Qatar. His meeting with Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud focused on strengthening strategic and economic ties, promoting investments, and advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. They reiterated the importance of OIC’s role in addressing challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah, including Islamophobia, Palestine, and Kashmir issues.
