At Blinken’s visit,
Bilawal Bhutto to
embark on maiden
USA visit today

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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will travel to New York on a two-day official visit next week at the invitation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Office said Monday.

Bilawal is visiting New York for the ministerial meeting on the “Global Food Security Call to Action” to be held at the United Nations on May 18, 2022.

According to the Foreign Office, the meeting will bring together a regionally-diverse group of countries, including those most affected by food insecurity and those in a position to take action to address it.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

“Ministers will be invited to speak on humanitarian needs and longer-term development efforts required to save lives and build resilience for the future,” the statement issued in this regard said.

During his trip, the foreign minister will also participate in the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security – Conflict and Food Security” under the US Presidency of the Council on May 19.

The foreign minister will highlight Pakistan’s perspective and policy priorities in the two meetings.

While in New York, Bilawal will have other important engagements on the sidelines, including a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

US State Department Antony J. Blinken

“Pakistan will continue to play a proactive role in supporting the international efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful and stable world free of conflict, poverty, and hunger,” the statement read.

Bilawal visits UAE to offer condolences

In a separate statement, the Foreign Office mentioned that Bilawal is visiting the UAE, today to offer condolences to the Al-Nahyan family, the leadership and the people of the UAE, on the passing away of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, fromer president resident of the United Arab Emirates.

“In the demise of Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE has lost a visionary and statesman, who profoundly transformed the country,” the Foreign Office noted.

Pakistan has also lost a sincere friend and partner who made invaluable contributions toward strengthening fraternal ties between the two countries.

Top-level contacts between Pakistan and the US recommenced on Friday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and invited him to a food security meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on May 18.

The two-day ministerial conference will focus on the threat to global food security, triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and will be chaired by Mr Blinken himself.

ISLAMABAD: Former President and PTI co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Chief Minister Hamza Sharif are also present at the occasion.

Such encouraging statements were rare during the PTI regime and the phone call to Mr Bhutto-Zardari was the first contact between the foreign ministers of the two countries in quite a while. On Sept 24, 2021, then-FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Secretary Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

Pakistan is also exploring the possibility of bringing Mr Bhutto-Zardari to Washington for a separate meeting with Secretary Blinken. “Why wait? Why not try to arrange a meeting now?” said a diplomatic source when asked if Pakistan was seeking a Bilawal-Blinken meeting later this month.

“Received a call from Secretary Blinken. Grateful for warm felicitations on my assumption of office,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said in a tweet he posted after the call.

“Exchanged views on: “Strengthening mutually beneficial, broad-based relationship, promotion of peace, development & security and agreed engagement with mutual respect is the way forward between the US and Pakistan,” he wrote.

The two-day ministerial meeting that Pakistan’s young foreign minister has been invited to precedes a UN Security Council debate on ‘Conflict and Food Security’.

The US says that since the Feb 24 invasion, Russia has blocked Ukraine’s ports, causing the suspension of food supplies to the Middle East and Africa.

Pakistan’s participation in a UN meeting that highlights the problems caused by the Russian invasion would be a major departure from the policies of the previous PTI government.