OIC moot: FM Ishaq Dar discusses bilateral trade with Turkish, Azeri counterparts

• Dar mulls over strengthening defence cooperation with Turkey's FM.
• He felicitates Azeri counterpart on Baku's bid to host COP29 summit.
• Deputy PM expresses gratitude for Azerbaijan's stance on IIOJK.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar Sunday met with his counterparts from Turkey and Azerbaijan and discussed bilateral trade and other matters of mutual interest on the sidelines of the 15th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Banjul, Gambia.

Dar, who is also the country's deputy prime minister, reached the West African nation on Wednesday where he's leading Pakistan's delegation to raise the issues of Gaza and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) at the OIC moot from May 4 to 5.

During his meeting with Turkey's FM Hakan Fidan, the two sides mulled over the friendly relations between the two brotherly countries along with the commitment to strengthen bilateral ties, especially in the economic, trade, and defence sectors.

Prior to that, Dar met with Azerbaijan's FM Jeyhun Bayramov wherein the two dignitaries discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people contacts and emphasised the importance of dialogue at the political level.

The foreign minister also felicitated the Azeri counterpart on winning the bid to host COP29 summit and expressed Pakistan's interest in cooperation on climate change.

He also expressed gratitude for Baku's principled stance on IIOJK.

Dar's high-level interactions come as the Foreign Office, in its earlier statement, said that the minister will hold bilateral meetings with dignitaries from member countries attending the Summit.

A day earlier, Dar held meetings with delegates of several countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar.

During his interaction with Saudi Arabia's FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the two sides discussed strengthening strategic and economic ties, and enhancing investments between the two countries while reiterating the call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

They also underscored the significance of OIC's role in addressing challenges concerning the Muslim Ummah including Islamophobia and the situations in Palestine and Kashmir.