Islamabad, Pakistan – In a significant step to strengthen bilateral ties, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance joint security and defense cooperation. Both sides also reaffirmed the importance of developing the historical relations between the two countries across various strategic sectors.
Rawalpindi meeting: a close security and defense partnership
The Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), announced that official talks were held on Friday at the Army General Headquarters. Discussions during the meeting focused on a range of issues of mutual interest. The current regional security environment was also assessed. Furthermore, the two sides reviewed mechanisms for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the defense and security sectors.
During the meeting, Field Marshal Asim Munir highlighted the deep-rooted and longstanding fraternal relations between Islamabad and Damascus. He also outlined his country’s vision regarding global peace and regional stability. He emphasized the need for concerted efforts to address the complex security challenges facing the region. For his part, the Syrian minister expressed his profound appreciation for the distinguished and professional role played by the Pakistani armed forces in establishing the foundations of regional peace and stability. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides affirmed their firm commitment to expanding the horizons of their bilateral partnership.
Official visit and fruitful leadership meetings
It is worth noting that the Syrian Foreign Minister arrived in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Thursday for an official visit. This visit came in response to an official invitation extended to him by the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar. In a related development, the Syrian guest held an important meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to translate the deep-rooted traditional ties between the two countries into joint and fruitful action plans encompassing multiple sectors, most notably politics, defense, trade, and investment, as well as education and human resource development. In the economic sphere, the Syrian Minister presented a practical proposal to establish a joint business council between the two countries. This council aims to facilitate direct communication and promote trade and investment between the business communities and companies of both Pakistan and Syria.
