Pakistan thanks China for participating positively in OIC-CFM meeting

Islamabad: Pakistan has thanked China for participating positively in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Speaking at a joint news conference with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha on conclusion of two-day OIC meeting here, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan was especially thankful to China for positively participating in the important event.

He maintained that both China and OIC were willing to work collectively and play mediator role for the end of the conflict.

Pakistan had invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as a special guest for the two-day OIC-CFM meeting, demonstrating the closeness between the two all-weather friends.

The Chinese FM also held meetings with President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, FM Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on the sidelines.

In the bilateral meetings, the two sides agreed to enhance the cooperation further.

At the inaugural session on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested that China and Islamic countries should mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and try to bring about a ceasefire.

“May I suggest that OIC during its discussion with foreign ministers, we should think about how … how we can mediate, how we can bring about the ceasefire. I want to discuss how, maybe OIC along with China, we can all step in and try to stop this conflict which is going to have, if it keeps going the way it is, it would have great consequences for the rest of the world,” he opined in his speech.

In his address at the meeting, Foreign Minister Wang Yi – who is also the Chinese State Councilor – told the audience that China was ready to work with Islamic countries to promote a multipolar world, democracy in international relations and diversity of human civilizations, and make unremitting efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

FM Wang Yi maintained that China was ready to build partnerships with the Islamic world for the promotion of multilateralism and democracy in international relations as well as for unity and cooperation.

“China is ready to build four partnerships with Islamic countries. We should be partners of unity and cooperation. We need to be partners in development and revitalization. We need to be safe and stable partners,” Wang Yi remarked.

This was the first time for the Chinese foreign minister to attend the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which he said, fully demonstrated the sincere desire of China and the Islamic world to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and would surely push bilateral relations to a new level.

At the Wednesday night news conference, FM Qureshi acknowledged the sincerity of China and hoped China and OIC will move forward together.