Diplomatic contacts: FM Qureshi leaves for Tehran, Riyadh, US tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Just a couple of days before Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi leaves for Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States tomorrow (Sunday), in a bid to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East while seeking peace and security in the region, he met with the Iranian ambassador and worked the phones with his Iraqi and Russian counterparts.

The United States in particular has asked Pakistan to use its good offices to engage in the region to ensure there is a de-escalation of tensions.

Pakistan’s message to all world capitals is that the region cannot bear the consequences of another conflict. “There is always a room for engagement and interaction within the region and beyond. The foreign minister’s visit will be aimed towards this. This is an initiative that Pakistan has taken because we understand our responsibility as a member of the international community and as an important country in this region,” spokesperson at the Foreign Office had explained earlier.

On Friday, the new Iranian ambassador to Pakistan Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini called on Qureshi at his chamber in the Parliament, during which they discussed tensions between the US and Iran as well as the situation of peace and stability in the region.

Pakistan without naming the US and Iran has asked both to show restraint as a conflict would benefit no one. The Foreign Office said that the foreign minister assured Ali Hussaini that Pakistan is determined to play its positive role to reduce tension in the region as growing tensions would not help anyone.

Qureshi’s forthcoming visit to Tehran also came up in the meeting and the Iranian envoy was briefed about Pakistan’s outreach with other capitals in the region.

According to diplomatic sources, the Iranian ambassador reaffirmed that his government under no circumstances wants any escalation in the Middle East. However, Iran says together with calls for restraint, efforts have to be diverted towards the root cause of the problem which started the latest instability. Iran has also asked important capitals to condemn the attack on General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq and not to equate aggressor with the victim.

In a Tweet, the Iranian Embassy said that Ali Hosseini was congratulated by the foreign minister on his new diplomatic assignment.Meanwhile, in his telephone call with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Ali Al-Hakim, the message from Islamabad was that “the region cannot bear the consequences of another conflict”.

Ali Al-Hakim was updated about Pakistan’s outreach to Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UAE. The Foreign Office said the foreign minister further informed Hakim that he would soon be making official trips to Iran and the US to defuse tension between the states.

Earlier, the foreign minister again reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance to Russia and made it clear that Pakistan would neither be a party to any new conflict in the region nor would its land be used against any regional or neighbouring country.

In his conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, both countries agreed to jointly start efforts to ensure that peace returns to the region and conflict between the US and Iran be avoided.

The Foreign Office said that Qureshi informed Lavrov that an increase in tensions among the states could deal a severe blow to peace and stability in the region. He said both sides have to show restraint in order to overcome the current escalated situation. Pakistan reaffirmed its firm resolve to play a positive role to reduce tension in the region.