US under secretary in Pakistan for OIC conference, bilateral talks

ISLAMABAD: United States (US) Under Secretary Uzra Zeya has been in Pakistan to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers conference and hold bilateral talks with Pakistani officials, the US State Department said earlier this week. 

More than 600 delegates from 56 member states and observer countries are participating in the 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers being held in Islamabad on March 22-23. The theme of this year’s conference is "Partnering for Unity, Justice, and Development." 

Under Secretary Zeya has been leading the US delegation at the two-day summit, where she is due to meet senior government officials, as well as members of the civil society and international organizations. 

"During her OIC engagements, the under secretary will highlight the deep and close ties between the United States and the OIC member states, underscore the need for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, and advocate for human rights and freedoms for all," the State Department said.

"The under secretary’s bilateral meetings will address regional security developments, Pakistan’s generous hosting of Afghan refugees and support for Afghan relocation efforts, worldwide condemnation of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and celebrating the 75th anniversary of US-Pakistan diplomatic relations."

On Monday, OIC countries formally launched a trust fund to help ease the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, where millions of people face poverty and famine. The OIC and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed the charter for the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund at a ceremony hosted by Islamabad. 

In his address with the inaugural session on Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan urged OIC member states to mediate and help “bring about a cease-fire” between Russia and Ukraine.  

“We, like everyone else in the world, are all worried about what’s happening there [in Ukraine],” PM Khan said. 

“May I suggest that the OIC, during its discussions, the foreign ministers, we should think how we represent 1.5 billion people, how we can mediate, how we can bring about a cease-fire, how can we bring about an end to the conflict.” 

Russian forces had hit a Ukrainian arms depot outside the country's northwestern city of Rivne on Tuesday, destroying an arsenal of weapons and equipment, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It said Russian forces had struck the depot using high-precision, long-range weapons fired from the sea. 

Though Russian troops have failed to capture any major Ukrainian city more than four weeks into their invasion, they are now increasingly resorting to causing massive destruction in the Eastern European nation using air strikes, long-range missiles and artillery.  

Upon the completion of her engagements in Pakistan, the US under secretary would head on to Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the State Department added.