FM Qureshi in Qatar to discuss Afghan peace, bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived in Qatar today on a one-day official visit.

Qureshi will meet Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud and other top Qatari leadership.

The foreign minister is expected to discuss the Afghan peace process, bilateral relations and other important regional and global issues.

He was received at the airport by top officials of the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Pakistan in Doha. 

Speaking to media before departing for Qatar, Qureshi said that Pakistan enjoys close relations with Qatar and it is an important country in the Middle-East.

He added that there is a large Pakistani community in Qatar and there are many investment opportunities in the country. “We will further build on our previously held talks,” the foreign minister said.

On December 23, Qureshi embarked on a whirlwind four-nation tour. During the first leg of his trip, he visited Kabul where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani. After Afghanistan, Qureshi visited Tehran where he met his counterpart Javed Zarif and other top officials of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and discussed strengthening cooperation and bilateral relations.

In the third leg of this tour, Qureshi met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. He then held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on his trip to Moscow, his last stop on the tour.