UNGA: PM Shehbaz meets US President Biden

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Joe Biden and his wife on Friday on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In a tweet, the PM's Office said that the premier met Biden at a reception hosted by the US president for world leaders participating in UNGA in New York.

During the meeting, the PM lauded the flood relief efforts by the US and the continuous coronavirus vaccine assistance and collaboration between the two countries, Head of PM's Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi, tweeted.

PM calls for concrete action for flood victims

Earlier, PM Shehbaz called on the world to translate their solidarity into concrete actions.

“As I continued my interaction with world leaders on day 3 of UNGA Session, there has been a massive outpouring of sympathy & solidarity with Pakistan on flood disaster. The time has come for the world to translate this solidarity into concrete action to help Pakistan overcome this crisis,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

The PM will be addressing the UNGA later on Friday. In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that he will focus on the challenges faced by Pakistan in the wake of the recent climate-induced catastrophic floods in the country.

The PM will outline concrete proposals for collectively tackling the existential threat posed by climate change, FO said.

The statement added that PM Shehbaz will also share Pakistan’s position and perspective on regional and global issues of concern including Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the long-standing unresolved disputes on the UN agenda.

Address to UNGA: PM to make a strong case for flood-ravaged Pakistan

Floods in Pakistan have affected nearly 33 million people and have swept away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Biden made a fervent appeal to the world to help Pakistan deal with the devastation of the recent floods.

“Pakistan is still under water, needs help,” the president told the 193-member Assembly in its high-level debate.

Following his speech, PM Shehbaz took to Twitter and thanked Biden for highlighting the plight of the flood victims.

During his visit to the US, the PM is meeting several leaders and apprising them of the flood disaster, highlighting the need for collective action to deal with climate change.

PM Shehbaz was scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer, and President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon.

Meetings with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chinese President Premier Li Keqiang, and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida are also part of the prime minister’s engagements.