Islamabad (Urdu Times) : Foreign Minister Speaks to EU High Representative

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a telephone conversation with European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mr Josep Borrell today.

Expressing Pakistan’s concerns over the expiry of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), the Foreign Minister said that the resulting food inflation and food security-related challenges would adversely impact developing countries like Pakistan which were already under economic pressure.

The Foreign Minister said that he had also spoken to his Ukrainian and Turkish counterparts on this subject. He hoped that efforts aimed at reviving the initiative would come to fruition through dialogue and constructive engagement accommodating the concerns of all parties. The Foreign Minister requested the EU High Representative to play his role to help find a solution that would allow the renewal of BSGI, and conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to contribute to collective efforts in that regard.

The Foreign Minister and the EU’s High Representative agreed to remain engaged on the issue and other matters of mutual interest.

Islamabad