ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi received a telephone call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg on Thursday.
During the call, the two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction over the current level of bilateral engagement and pledged to further establish linkages and deepen cooperation between the two Countries in all spheres of mutual interest including trade, economy, higher education, tourism and culture.
The Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg thanked Pakistan for its support in facilitating transit of Austrian nationals and others from Afghanistan.
The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi invited his Austrian Counterpart to visit Pakistan on mutually agreed dates, which the latter accepted and said that he looked forward to welcoming Qureshi to Vienna for a bilateral visit.
Good to speak w/ Austrian FM #AlexanderSchallenberg. On #Afghanistan, joint efforts of int’l community essential at this juncture, for security & prosperity of Afghan people as is an inclusive pol settlement. Pakistan continues to support govts & orgs in evacuation efforts 🇵🇰 🇦🇹
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) September 2, 2021
The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Sharing Pakistan’s perspective, the foreign minister stressed the importance of peaceful and stable Afghanistan and highlighted the salience of safety and security of Afghans as well as an inclusive political settlement.
The foreign minister stressed that there was a historic opportunity for ending 40 years of conflict in Afghanistan. Engagement of the international community with positive messaging and constructive actions was much needed, he said.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for concerted efforts to stabilize the security situation, preserve the peace, and preclude any exodus of Afghans as refugees.
The foreign minister underlined the need for international community to show solidarity with the Afghan people to address the humanitarian needs and support economic stability.
