UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres left New York for Islamabad on Monday for a four-day visit during which he is expected to discuss Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediatory role in the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The visit is taking place at the invitation of the Government of Pakistan.
During his stay, Guterres will meet Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and other senior government officials.
He will also meet President Asif Ali Zardari and the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff.
According to the Foreign Office, the UN secretary-general will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Islamabad, which monitors the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
He will also visit the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where he will receive a briefing on Pakistan’s progress in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience following the devastating floods.
The Foreign Office said Guterres would have several other engagements during the visit, which would highlight Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen multilateralism and promote international peace and security, as well as its progress in disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
The visit will provide an opportunity to reaffirm Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the United Nations and exchange views on regional and international developments, the Foreign Office said.
It added that the visit reflected Pakistan’s continued support for multilateralism with the United Nations at its core, as well as its commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
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UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, while discussing the secretary-general’s visit, said Pakistan had over the years demonstrated its commitment to the United Nations through its contributions to UN peacekeeping and its diplomatic efforts to bring parties together when dialogue was needed.
“This spirit is something we have seen time and again over the years, and it is one of Pakistan’s greatest contributions to our shared world,” Dujarric said.
