Pakistan has expressed the desire that Islamabad would become a full-fledged dialogue partner of ASEAN soon with Indonesia’s cooperation and support, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
This was said by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif when he met with the President of Indonesia, His Excellency Prabowo Subianto, on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in Cairo.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated His Excellency Prabowo on assuming the office of President.
The two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including bilateral relations, including political, trade and economic matters, as well as cooperation in multilateral forums. The two leaders stressed the need to further strengthen economic and trade relations and agreed to remain in close contact to maintain bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Indonesia is a reliable trading partner of Pakistan. He especially appreciated Indonesia's role as a palm oil supplier, as Pakistan imports a large portion of its edible oil needs from Indonesia.
Expressing Pakistan’s keen interest in engaging with ASEAN and its member states, Prime Minister Shahbaz appreciated Indonesia’s support for Pakistan’s efforts to attain sectoral partner status in ASEAN and membership of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that Pakistan, with Indonesia’s cooperation and support, would become a full-fledged dialogue partner of ASEAN.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also invited President Prabowo Subianto to visit Pakistan, which he accepted.
The two leaders reiterated their unwavering support for Palestine, called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and called for a comprehensive approach to resolving the Palestinian issue.
The two leaders reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with pre-1967 borders and with Jerusalem as its capital.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he will present Pakistan’s perspective on Gaza and Lebanon in the special session of the D-8 Summit.
In a social media post, upon his arrival in Cairo, the Prime Minister said he will join like-minded leaders to deliberate on shaping the economy of the future by investing in youth and supporting small and medium enterprises, as well as charting ways to foster partnerships for mutual benefit, promote entrepreneurship, and advance innovation.
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan looks forward to contributing to this important gathering as one of its founding members.
Reporter Awais Kiyani