Sideline meetings at UNGA 77

Here’s a recap of some of the important sideline meetings at the United Nations General Assembly.

1. The Prime Minister met with the President of Iran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Pakistan and Iran enjoy relations that are deeply rooted in historical, cultural and religious commonalities. The Prime Minister congratulated President Hassan Rouhani on his elections in the June 14 Presidential elections. The two leaders reviewed status of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international issues particularly the challenges being faced by the Islamic Ummah. The Prime Minister stated that cooperation in the energy sector will serve the interest of both countries. The two countries agreed that Afghanistan’s neighbours need to work closely with the Afghan government and support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led political process.
2. The Prime Minister met with the President of Spain on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They discussed about strengthening bilateral relations and how to deepen relationship through inter parliament ties, security and defense, energy and people to people links.
3. The Prime Minister met with the President of France on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The prime minister reaffirmed the high importance Pakistan attached to its long-standing friendly relations with France — both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union. He stressed the importance of further strengthening the bilateral relations across a range of areas, including trade and investment, energy, agriculture, IT, defence and security, and higher education. The prime minister also thanked France for its support for GSP+ scheme, noting that it served to enhance trade and economic ties with the European Union as well as France.The two leaders agreed to closely work together to identify ways and means to support Pakistan in its efforts to come out of the formidable challenge and build back a resilient infrastructure with the help of international support.

   The prime minister expressed gratitude to the French president for solidarity and support for the flood-affected people in Pakistan and for sending timely assistance of tents, water pumps and a team of doctors and nurses.

4. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met his Norwegian counterpart Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt in New York today on sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly.The Foreign Ministers reviewed the state of bilateral relations and agreed to continue joint efforts to further strengthen and diversify cooperation particularly in trade, investment, development and other areas. They underlined the importance of early conclusion of Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Both Ministers appreciated the positive contribution of Pakistani diaspora in Norway. The Foreign Minister also underlined the importance of enhancing legal migration opportunities for Pakistanis.