Chinese FM Wang Yi meets Pakistani counterpart

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Kyrgyzstan.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China-Pakistan relations have always remained at the forefront of the times.

The two sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, actively advance exchanges at all levels and cooperation across various fields, and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, Wang said.

China highly appreciates Pakistan's key role in facilitating the memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran, Wang said, adding that China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in its efforts to mediate, promote the return of all parties to dialogue and negotiations, and achieve a lasting ceasefire.

China is ready to strengthen coordination with Pakistan on multilateral platforms such as the SCO and the United Nations to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South, Wang said.

Dar said it is essential for Pakistan and China to maintain communication and coordination on all occasions.

The sudden escalation of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf serves the interests of no party, he said, adding that Pakistan is willing to continue its efforts in peace mediation and appreciates China's consistent support and assistance.

Pakistan is ready to strengthen coordination with China under multilateral frameworks such as the SCO and the China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral cooperation mechanism, and make due contributions to safeguarding regional peace, stability and development, he said.