ISLAMABAD:
European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday reaffirmed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif his diplomatic support for Pakistan’s peace efforts in the Middle East, saying only dialogue and diplomacy could bring peace to the region.
Tensions in the Middle East sharply escalated after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes last month assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, triggering a wave of retaliation from Tehran and widening the conflict across the region.
In response to these strikes, Iran launched retaliation against US military bases in several Gulf countries, significantly expanding the scope of the confrontation.
Pakistan has since stepped up diplomatic efforts to play its role in easing tensions and has become a key mediator between the United States and Iran in their ongoing conflict, which has spread across the Gulf region.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X today, Costa and Prime Minister Shehbaz discussed the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and exchanged views on Pakistan-EU relations.
“Both leaders expressed deep concern over the ongoing hostilities in Iran and the Gulf countries and their impact on the global economy. They stressed the need to resolve the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.
The Prime Minister’s Office further said that the Prime Minister also shared the latest developments in Pakistan’s mediation efforts to defuse the Middle East crisis. Costa supported Pakistan’s peace efforts and reaffirmed that the EU supports all diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted the importance of GSP Plus and mentioned that he was looking forward to inaugurating the first-ever Pakistan-EU Business Forum in Islamabad on April 28-29,” the statement added.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister recalled that his planned visit to Brussels had to be postponed last month, stressing that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with the EU.
“The President of the Council of the EU said he looked forward to welcoming the Prime Minister to Brussels on mutually convenient dates,” the statement added.
The statement also mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed his best wishes to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Separately, on
“The EU is gravely concerned by the prolongation of the war and its growing global impact. I wish Pakistan every success in its peace efforts,” he added.
