By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have agreed to firmly safeguard multilateralism and support the central role of the UN in international affairs. Both countries expressed their support at the third round of China Pakistan Consultations on the United Nations Affairs on Friday.
The Pakistani side was led by the Director-General Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Usman Iqbal Jadoon whilst the Chinese side by its Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences Yang Tao.
The two sides concurred to strengthen their cooperation at the UN and other multilateral platforms and to support each other on each side’s core and major interests. They mutually decided to work toward the political and peaceful resolution of regional and international hotspot issues, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the world, especially in Asia. Both countries supported the idea to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism and peacekeeping in the UN framework by addressing the issue of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They also decided to support UN peacekeeping operations in a bid to make greater contributions to the maintenance of international and regional peace and security.
Agreeing to consolidate strategic coordination in the field of human rights, both countries decided to jointly oppose double standards and the politicisation of human rights issues, and work for the promotion and protection of all human rights in a cooperative manner.
Earlier, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Yang Tao and Director General of the United Nations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Farrukh Iqbal Khan of Pakistan held consultation on United Nations (UN) affairs.
Both the sides exchanged views on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, relevant international and regional hotspot issues and cooperation in multilateral areas between China and Pakistan, according to a press statement issued by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
Both the sides agreed that the international community should take the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN as an opportunity to send a clear message of support for multilateralism and the role of the UN, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, and maintain the international order based on international law. China and Pakistan need to further enhance cooperation in UN multilateral affairs, and defend the common interests of both countries and developing countries, it added.
