Pakistan's foreign minister has said that Islamabad would be "honoured" to host talks between the US and Iran to end the ongoing Mideast conflict.
"Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days for comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict," Ishaq Dar said in a video statement hours after a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in the capital Islamabad on Sunday.
Dar said that both Washington and Tehran expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks.
He said he briefed the top diplomats of Türkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia who attended the quadrilateral meeting on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
The visiting foreign ministers expressed their full support for the initiative, he said.
"We also discussed the possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region," Dar added.
"We agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction," Dar said, adding that the foreign ministers agreed that the only "viable" solution to the conflict is "dialogue and diplomacy."
‘Very important’
The top diplomats, he went on to say, reaffirmed "unity to contain the situation, reduce the risk of military escalations and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties."
They called for upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
Pakistan, Dar said, also has a "very important" relationship with the US, adding that Islamabad has remained actively engaged with Washington as well, as part of efforts to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Dar said China "fully" supports Pakistan’s initiative to host talks between the US and Iran.
"There is a strong appreciation and support among all our friends for the efforts being made by Pakistan. We will continue our efforts with sincerity and commitment," he added.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s "strong" commitment and resolve to play a positive role in bringing both Iran and the US to the negotiating table.
He made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypt's top diplomat Badr Abdelatty in Islamabad.
Sharif shared Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach efforts with the two foreign ministers and stressed the need for collective efforts to urgently bring an end to hostilities.
