NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with the two leaders discussing Pakistan-Iran relations and the regional situation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi attended the meeting, along with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Before the meeting, Sharif told reporters that unexpected developments following the signing of an Islamabad memorandum of understanding had affected the peace process.
Sharif said Pakistan was playing the role of a “sincere and honest mediator” between Iran and the United States and remained focused on efforts to prevent further escalation. He said Islamabad had not lost hope of making progress toward de-escalation.
Asked about the possibility of another meeting between the U.S. and Iranian presidents, Sharif said the engagement process was continuing and that friendly countries were making efforts to promote peace in the region.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the importance of the European Union's GSP Plus trade scheme to Pakistan's economic development, job creation and trade with the 27-nation bloc, and said Islamabad remains committed to continued engagement under the framework.
Sharif made the remarks during a meeting with European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
The leaders reviewed the full range of Pakistan-EU relations and expressed satisfaction with the growing momentum in high-level exchanges, the statement said.
