ISLAMABAD:
Ambassadors posted in key world capitals and multilateral forums on Tuesday held in-house discussions chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Foreign Office to fine-tune Pakistan’s foreign policy in view of the multiple challenges facing the country.
Instead of holding the extended envoys conference this year, the Foreign Office huddle was attended only by ambassadors posted in certain capitals, including Washington, Moscow, Beijing, New York, Geneva, Afghanistan and others.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the envoys were in Pakistan for a separate meeting convened by other stakeholders. Only a select group of ambassadors, mostly serving at the multilateral forums such as the UN, were invited for the meeting.
In order to take advantage of their presence in Islamabad, the Foreign Office also organized their session chaired by Dar.
The sources said discussions focused mainly on the challenges facing the country in view of the Trump 2.0, Afghanistan situation, ties with China, besides other issues.
Donald Trump is set to step into the White House on January 20 after his stunning victory in the presidential elections in November. His unpredictable and mercurial nature has put the world on tenterhooks.
Pakistan, a country no longer a priority for the US, may face many new challenges.
The Pakistani envoy to Washington gave his assessment of the relationship between Pakistan and the US under the incoming president.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office said the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of Pakistan’s envoys at key multilateral and bilateral missions.
“Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch and additional foreign secretaries and senior directors’ general of the ministry also attended the meeting. The envoys shared their assessment and views on the regional and global developments and inputs for foreign policy priorities for 2025 and beyond.
“In his keynote address, the deputy prime minister/foreign minister shared the vision of a dynamic foreign policy in its bilateral and multilateral dimensions.
“He underscored Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its relations with countries around the world and urged the envoys to play their role in enhancing Pakistan’s international profile and developing its international partnerships,” it said.
The annual meeting of Pakistan’s envoys is a regular feature at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the various facets of Pakistan’s foreign policy and its coherent implementation.
But this year it was a shorter version of the conference as many envoys posted in countries such as the UK, Iran and India were conspicuous by their absence.
