Islamabad, May 11 (PTI) US Charge dAffaires Natalie A Baker on Monday held discussions with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, focussing on the “regional situation” and bilateral ties.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO), Baker called on Dar to “discuss the evolving regional situation and the broader Pakistan-US bilateral relationship”.
Dar highlighted Pakistan’s role in facilitating communication between the US and Iran, and expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond, the FO said.
The meeting took place a day after Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator in the West Asia conflict, confirmed receiving from Iran the response to a US peace proposal. But US President Donald Trump is learnt to have rejected Iran’s response to the peace proposal as “totally unacceptable”.
During Monday’s meeting, Dar also appreciated the ongoing US assistance in the repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore, the FO said.
The ongoing West Asia conflict, triggered by the US and Israel’s joint strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation, has remained under a ceasefire since April 8.
Islamabad hosted one round of direct talks between Iran and the US on April 11, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme remain key sticking points in the negotiations.
The conflict has disrupted shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global transit route for oil and gas, while Iran’s enriched Uranium stockpile has remained a concern for Western powers for several years now.
On April 21, Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire beyond its two-week deadline to allow more time for negotiations with Tehran.
The latest developments come at a time when the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have reported drone incursions into their airspace, while a drone strike caused a minor fire aboard a commercial vessel near Qatar’s coast. PTI SH ABD ABD
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