Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad on Thursday (today) for an official visit aimed at strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Pakistan and Syria.
Al-Shaibani is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. He was received at the airport by the Additional Secretary for Middle East Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, a high level Syrian delegation is also accompanying him.
Pakistani and Syrian officials will hold detailed talks covering the full range of bilateral relations during the visit. Both sides will discuss ways to increase cooperation and will also exchange views on important regional and international developments.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit represents an important step towards strengthening Pakistan-Syria relations and opening new areas of cooperation between the two countries.
The visit comes a day after Pakistan strongly condemned an attack by Israeli forces on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Idlib, Syria.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi described such actions as a clear violation of international law and warned that they could further damage peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan also expressed solidarity with the Syrian people and reiterated its support for Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and prosperity. Islamabad called on the international community to help stop repeated violations of international law and hold Israel accountable for actions that Pakistan said were destabilising the region.
Despite continuing tensions, Syria’s new authorities and Israel have held several rounds of direct talks.
The diplomatic engagement comes as Syria continues to recover from years of war that damaged the country’s infrastructure and forced millions of Syrians to leave their homes, both internally and abroad.
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