ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reached Berlin on Sunday with a delegation on a two-day official visit.
Pakistani Ambassador to Germany Dr Muhammad Faisal and senior officials of the German Foreign Ministry received the foreign minister at the airport.
Speaking at the Berlin Airport, the foreign minister said that he will hold meetings with the businessmen and community leaders. He said that over 100,000 Pakistanis live in Germany and are playing a very positive role.
Qureshi said that he wants to enhance cooperation in the field of economic diplomacy and exchange of technology for which he will hold talks with the Germen leadership.
He said that he will also exchange views with his German Counterpart Heiko Maas on important regional and international issues; besides, meeting with the German Parliament President Wolfgang Schäuble.
Qureshi said that Pakistan wants to expand parliamentary relations with Germany and to further activate already existing friendship groups between the two countries.
Earlier, speaking to reporters before his departure, the foreign minister said that during the visit, he will apprise the German leadership about the regional situation, Afghan peace dialogue and peace and security environment in South Asia.
He also expressed confidence that his visit will be “fruitful” for the country.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Qureshi is visiting the country on the invitation of his German counterpart. The visit, it said, is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. Maas had visited Pakistan in March 2019.
There, he will have delegation-level talks with Maas and the “entire gamut” of Pakistan-Germany relations will be reviewed and ways and means to further deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields will be discussed, the statement said.
Pakistan and Germany have been collaborating closely on regional matters and at the multilateral fora, the statement added.
Berlin is Islamabad’s largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), the statement observed, recalling that Germany is also home to more than 100,000 Pakistan nationals.
The two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties and planning to “undertake a number of activities in this context”.
