Germany has praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts in regional conflicts, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, the German Foreign Office said in a post on X.
The statement followed a meeting between German Foreign Minister (FM) Johann Wadephul and Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and FM Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The two foreign ministers also agreed on the need to resume negotiations for peace in Ukraine.
“During their meeting at #UNGA81, @aussenminde & @MIshaqDar50 agreed that we need to get negotiations on peace for Ukraine going,” the foreign office said.
The remarks came as Pakistan continued its diplomatic engagement with world leaders at the UNGA, including efforts to mediate between the United States (US) and Iran.
On Wednesday, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also met Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
The two EU leaders praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran as attempts to de-escalate the conflict and revive negotiations continued.
“We work together on stability and security. We thanked the Prime Minister for his initiative to mediate in the conflict between the US and Iran,” Costa and von der Leyen said in separate identical statements posted on X.
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, PM Shehbaz, Costa and von der Leyen exchanged views on regional and global developments and reaffirmed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“Pakistan is playing an important role in support of de-escalation, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts,” the two EU leaders said.
The prime minister’s office said that the sides also reviewed the “full spectrum” of bilateral ties, with PM Shehbaz reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its partnership with the European Union (EU) and implementing the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan.
“The EU values its partnership with Pakistan. Our Strategic Engagement Plan reflects both the breadth of this partnership and the shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and civic space,” Costa and von der Leyen said.
Pakistan has been pursuing diplomatic efforts to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, while Sharif and Dar held meetings with leaders from around the world during the UNGA session.
President of US Donald Trump also mentioned the Pakistani prime minister during his UNGA speech, calling him a “terrific man” while listing conflicts he said he had helped settle, including Pakistan-India, Thailand-Cambodia, Armenia-Azerbaijan and Gaza.
