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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday returned home from a three-day official visit to Iraq. The foreign minister was accompanied by senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others.

“The primary purpose of his visit was to strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and Iraq so that Pakistani people can benefit from economic cooperation, easier travel, and security cooperation,” said Faisal Karim Kundi, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and PPP’s Information Secretary in a statement, who was also part of the foreign minister’s delegation.

In terms of economic benefits, Kundi said Iraq was a major oil exporter at a time when energy prices were causing problems for people across Pakistan, and Iraq also offered employment opportunities for Pakistanis in many sectors.

He said the foreign minister signed an MoU on Monday to strengthen cooperation between businesses in Iraq and Pakistan, as well as establishing a new forum for private sector collaboration between the two countries, which would further increase income-generating opportunities for Pakistani workers and business owners.

“There is immense potential to increase trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq,” Bilawal said, adding that “the Pakistani workforce is renowned around the world for their efficiency, skill set and determination”.

The statement added that Iraq was also home to the majority of the world’s Shia pilgrimage sites, in addition to numerous significant Sunni sites, and the foreign minister announced several measures that would make it easier and less expensive for Pakistani pilgrims to travel to Iraq in future.

These measures include the opening of new facilities in Karbala that will offer assistance to travellers, the opening of a new Pakistani consulate in Najaf, relaxations of visa requirements (initially for official passport holders, which is a precursor to potential further relaxation), the construction of a new embassy in Baghdad, and other measures aimed at facilitating easier travel for Pakistanis.

“The holy sites in Iraq are very sacred for my people. We hope that more and more Pakistanis get an opportunity to visit these places,” Bilawal stated.

On security cooperation, the foreign minister noted the parallels between the struggles with terrorism facing both Iraqis and Pakistanis and pledged to deepen cooperation in future to prevent violence against innocent civilians. “Overall, both the Pakistani delegation and the Iraqi hosts spoke warmly of the great potential and real impact that this visit has had,” read the statement.

The trip included meetings with Iraqi political leaders including Iraq’s president, prime minister, foreign minister, and interior minister, the speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, and the president of the Al-Hikmet Party.

Bhutto-Zardari also met with religious leaders including the Head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bashir Al-Najafi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

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Nabil Jun 08, 2023 09:20am
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