Pakistan is set for a busy week of high-level diplomatic engagements as senior officials from Iran, Canada, ASEAN member states and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) converse with Islamabad and regional capitals for talks expected to focus on regional security, the evolving Middle East situation and bilateral cooperation.
In a key development, Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is expected to arrive in Pakistan within the next 36 hours at the invitation of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. According to official sources, the two sides will hold extensive consultations on border management, cross-border security and the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), alongside other issues of mutual concern.
Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday evening for a two-day official visit. Diplomatic sources told Asia One that Anand will hold formal talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday and is also expected to call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials.
The discussions are expected to cover the latest regional developments, particularly the US-Iran situation, as well as efforts to restore peace under the framework of the Islamabad MoU.
Bilateral economic ties, trade and Canada’s cooperation in Pakistan’s social sector are also expected to feature prominently during the meetings, diplomatic sources said.
Following the Canadian visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar will depart for Manila on July 22 to participate in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where he is expected to interact with several regional counterparts, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will also be attending the gathering.
Dar will subsequently travel to Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting on July 24. Diplomatic sources said he is expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines with his Iranian and Russian counterparts, among others, as Pakistan continues to intensify its diplomatic outreach amid shifting regional and global dynamics.
The flurry of engagements once again places Pakistan at the centre of regional diplomacy during a week of significant geopolitical consultations.