New York: Each year, the United Nations General Assembly annual meeting provides opportunities for attendees to meet with their counterparts and leaders from other countries and global organizations to discuss issues of mutual concern.
In a meeting with the president of the Maldives Dr Muhammad Muizzu, both leaders underscored the deep-rooted ties between Pakistan and the Maldives.
Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing cooperation between the two South Asian countries in the fields of trade, tourism, investment, education, and climate change. Both leaders agreed on the need for increased people-to-people exchanges and collaborative efforts to promote economic growth and sustainable development in their respective countries.
They also recognized the shared responsibility of all South Asian nations to work together for peace, prosperity, and stability of the region.
Prime Minister Sharif also held an important bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders discussed issues of mutual interest and agreed to further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, defense and security. In addition, they assessed preparations for the upcoming seventh session of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to be held in Islamabad in the near future.
The two leaders discussed regional and global developments, especially the ongoing genocide and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. They both called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the end of hostilities.
Prime Minister Sharif expressed his appreciation for Türkiye’s firm and consistent support for the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir, still illegally occupied by India.
During the meeting, President Erdogan expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Sharif’s economic policies, which have played a crucial role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy, and commended him for his leadership and commitment to economic reform.
In addition, the Pakistani prime minister and the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, enjoyed a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
Prime Minister Sharif affirmed the long-standing cordial relations between the two countries and expressed Pakistan’s keenness to further strengthen these ties. The two leaders also reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, ranging from political, economic and defense cooperation to people-to-people exchanges.
The prime minister expressed his desire to engage with Kuwait in mutually beneficial economic investments under the rubric of Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council.
The two leaders agreed to closely collaborate bilaterally, as well as on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Despite his busy schedule at the UN, Prime Minister Sharif was especially pleased to personally engage with the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Prime Minister Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s strong fraternal ties with Bangladesh, based on common faith, history, and culture. He also emphasized that both sides need to work together to further strengthen bilateral relations. Capitalizing on the immense goodwill and warmth among the people of the two countries, he encouraged fostering relations through parliamentary exchanges, people-to-people contacts, and interactions among sportspersons, academics, artists, students, etc.
He also extended an invitation to Professor Yunus to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his convenience, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation and dialogue.
Both sides agreed that there was a need to work closely at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels for the progress and development of the peoples of both countries.
Prime Minister Sharif held another special engagement with Bill Gates, founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Recalling Mr Gates’ recent visit to Pakistan in June this year, the prime minister thanked him for the invitation to visit the Gates Foundation in Seattle this December. He also appreciated the Gates Foundation’s engagement and support to Pakistan on polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, digitization, and financial inclusion.
The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country. He thanked the foundation for its longstanding support in this effort and underscored the need for sustained efforts and support to Pakistan, particularly for health system strengthening and maternal and child nutrition.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts, Mr Gates stressed polio eradication was vital to protect future generations from this crippling disease. He appreciated the prime minister’s personal supervision and engagement of the provincial governments in the polio vaccine program across the country.
Mr Gates shared updates on a comprehensive health dialogue with Afghanistan and requested support for the initiative. He also communicated his willingness to focus more on the pockets where the number of missed children or refusal of polio vaccines is higher especially where the morbidity of children is higher.
In turn, Prime Minister Sharif complimented the Gates Foundation for its polio campaign in Gaza given the challenges there and the frightful plight of children. He emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire and the resolution of the conflict as per UN Resolutions.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
