Pakistan Urges ‘Collective Work” for Lasting Mideast Peace

(MENAFN) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the international community to join forces in securing long-term stability across the Middle East, as Islamabad continues to expand its role in regional diplomacy and mediation efforts. The remarks came during a meeting in Islamabad with Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top foreign policy official.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office published on its official X account, Sharif thanked the EU for backing peace initiatives in the Gulf and highlighted the diplomatic efforts led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

“He laid special emphasis on the need for the international community, including the EU, to work collectively to ensure lasting peace in the region,” the statement said.

Discussions followed the eighth session of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, with both sides reviewing opportunities to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade, investment, climate action, security, migration, sustainable development, and regional connectivity. Sharif also stressed the significance of the EU’s GSP+ trade framework in deepening economic engagement between Pakistan and the bloc.

Kallas, who serves as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, praised Pakistan’s role in supporting regional stability and signaled the bloc’s interest in expanding strategic ties with Islamabad.

“Pakistan is a major regional power and an important partner for the EU,” Kallas said on X.

During a separate interview with a news channel, Kallas applauded Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, noting the country’s involvement in facilitating communication between the United States and Iran. She described Islamabad as an important interlocutor on regional security matters.

The EU official said she held separate discussions with Sharif and Dar on advancing EU-Pakistan cooperation and also met Field Marshal Asim Munir at military headquarters in Rawalpindi.

“I commended Pakistan for its key role in facilitating US-Iran talks,” she wrote, adding that the EU remains Pakistan’s largest export destination while Pakistan is the world’s leading beneficiary of the bloc’s GSP+ trade preferences.

Pakistan has gained greater diplomatic visibility in recent months as it seeks to encourage dialogue between Washington and Tehran and support wider de-escalation efforts across the Gulf. Islamabad has increasingly leveraged its relationships throughout the region to promote negotiations and help reduce geopolitical tensions.

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