NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders discussed Pakistan-Iran relations as well as the regional situation and other matters of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi were also present at the meeting. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended the meeting on the Iranian side.
Earlier, speaking to the media in New York, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that unexpected developments following the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding had affected the peace process.
He said Pakistan was playing the role of a sincere and honest mediator between Iran, its neighbouring country, and the United States.
The prime minister said Islamabad was focused on preventing further escalation and had not given up hope of making progress towards de-escalation.
Responding to a question about a possible meeting between the US and Iranian presidents, Shehbaz Sharif described the engagement as an ongoing process, saying friendly countries were continuing their efforts to promote peace.
Pakistan has been pursuing diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran amid renewed tensions in the region.