Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the United States on Monday to attend a high-level segment of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
asserted
Sharif → arrive → York
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the prime minister landed in New York to participate in the session, which will be held from Sept 21 to 25.
uncertain
which → accord → 25
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in New York ahead of the premier earlier today to participate in the UNGA session, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday.
asserted
Office → arrive → Monday
On the sidelines of the session, the deputy premier met with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, where the two reviewed Pakistan-France bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global developments.
asserted
two → meet → developments
According to a statement by the FO, Dar “reiterated Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen bilateral ties, including through enhanced political engagement, trade and investment, educational linkages and people-to-people exchanges”.
uncertain
Dar → accord → people
The two also discussed Palestine, stressing that the issue must remain “high on the international agenda”.
asserted
issue → discuss → agenda
The deputy prime minister appreciated France’s efforts to support the two-state solution.
asserted
minister → appreciate → solution
Barrot, meanwhile, appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the region.
asserted
Barrot → appreciate → region
On the topic of Iran, “both sides exchanged views on the importance of continued diplomatic engagement and regional efforts to address the crisis, and highlighted the importance of implementing the Islamabad MoU,” the statement said.
asserted
statement → exchange → MoU
They also stressed the need to ensure the “safety and free flow” of maritime traffic and uninterrupted energy supplies.
asserted
They → stress → traffic
The French foreign minister agreed on the importance of utilising regional forums to address regional challenges and promote dialogue, the FO statement added.
asserted
statement → agree → dialogue
Separately, DPM Dar also met with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty.
asserted
Dar → meet → Abdelatty
The two ministers reaffirmed the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and Egypt and expressed commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in “diverse areas, including trade and investment, economic cooperation, education, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts”, the FO said.
asserted
FO → reaffirm → people
They also discussed regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East.
asserted
They → discuss → East
They reaffirmed the importance of continued consultations under the Regional Four (R4) framework and agreed to further deepen coordination on issues of common interest, the statement added.
asserted
statement → reaffirm → interest
In a post on social media platform X, FO said DPM Dar has a “full programme” of high-level engagements in the week.
asserted
Dar → say → week
“He will participate in ministerial forums and deliver Pakistan’s statements and interventions on key issues of importance to Pakistan, including bilateral, regional and international priorities across the UN agenda,” the FO said.
asserted
FO → participate → agenda
Alongside accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — who is due to arrive in New York later this week — DPM Dar will hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts and participate in a range of high-level engagements on the sidelines of the UNGA, it added.
asserted
it → accompany → UNGA
Upon arriving in New York on Monday, Dar was received by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan Consul General in New York Aamer Ahmad Atozai, and officers of Pakistan’s Mission to the UN and Consulate in New York.
asserted
Dar → arrive → York
In a curtain raiser posted on X on Sunday, the FO said that during the visit, Dar will attend the meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, where he will highlight Pakistan’s “unwavering support” for the right to self-determination for Kashmiris.
asserted
he → post → Kashmiris
DPM Dar will also attend several high-level meetings on the Palestine issue, including a meeting of the eight Arab-Islamic countries and a high-level ministerial meeting of the global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, among others.
asserted
Dar → attend → others
According to the FO, DPM Dar is also expected to deliver a statement during the UN Security Council high-level briefing on artificial intelligence.
uncertain
Dar → accord → intelligence
He will also chair a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Ministers.
asserted
He → chair → Ministers
The Pakistani delegation at the UNGA has been significantly streamlined as part of the government’s austerity measures.
asserted
delegation → streamline → measures
Dar and senior foreign-policy adviser Tariq Fatemi will form the core of the prime minister’s delegation.
asserted
Dar → form → delegation
Several federal ministers who were initially expected to travel were dropped from the trip, according to sources at the country’s UN mission.
uncertain
who → expect → mission
The Aporia
