Mar 3, 2022: In a press release issued on Thursday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was telephoned by European Commission Vice President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The current situation in Ukraine and the emergency session of the UN General Assembly were discussed during his phone call.

Pakistan has emphasised that the current situation in Ukraine should be solved in accordance with relevant multilateral agreements, international law, and principles of the UN Charter.

“The Foreign Minister recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan had regretted the latest situation between Russia and Ukraine, and had shared Pakistan’s hope that diplomacy could avert military conflict,” FO stated.

“Underscoring the adverse effects of conflict on developing countries, the Prime Minister has been stressing the importance of diplomatic solution.”

The statement added that Qureshi apprised the EU’s high representative of Pakistan’s principled position, which is anchored in the “promotion of peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy”.

“He underscored that Pakistan has consistently stressed the need for de- escalation, renewed negotiations, sustained dialogue, and continuous diplomacy.”

He also emphasised the importance of a solution in accordance with relevant multilateral agreements, international law, and principles of the UN Charter, added FO.

The phone call between the two leaders came as Pakistan abstained from voting against a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly, which called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine “immediately”. The Moscow attack was strongly condemned by the majority of the world. Abstaining from voting, Pakistan stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing dispute between Russia and Ukraine, and hoped that the talks that had begun between the two countries in Belarus would end hostilities.

“Pakistan is deeply concerned about the recent developments. It shows the failure of diplomacy,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram.

Ambassador Akram said Prime Minister Imran Khan had regretted the latest situation between Russia and Ukraine and had hoped that diplomacy could avert military conflict.