ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday outlined his priorities, saying he would pursue close relationships with all major powers including the US, China and European Union (EU), better ties with India and further cementing cooperation with the Gulf region.

The veteran diplomat soon after taking oath revealed to media that he would continue to follow foreign policy evolved through national consensus.

Jilani, who served as foreign secretary and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, explained that there was a national consensus that Pakistan had to have a good relationship with the US while at the same time maintaining close ties with China.

“We are clear that Pakistan will not enter into any bloc politics,” the caretaker foreign minister said amid growing tussle between China and the US.

Pakistan has been treading carefully since the US-China rivalry got intense. At times Pakistan had to make difficult choices. For example, Pakistan twice skipped the US President’s Democracy Summit in what was seen as a clear effort not to antagonise its long term ally China. At the same time, Pakistan has also pushed for a close relationship with the US. It is believed that Washington played a key role in ensuring the standby agreement Pakistan signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avoid a potential default.

The interim foreign minister emphasised on the importance of maintaining close relationship with the Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and UAE.  Jilani said the relationship with these Gulf countries was crucial and he would continue to make efforts for further deepening those ties.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 18 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.