FM says China supports Pakistan's role as mediator

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that China supports Pakistan in continuing to play its role as a mediator.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the latter's request.

Dar briefed Wang on the latest situation in Iran and the view of Pakistan.

Thanking China for supporting Pakistan's mediation efforts, Dar said that a ceasefire and restoring peace is the shared aspiration of all parties.

At present, it is a crucial moment to resume peace talks, and the international community should encourage the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table and find effective ways to achieve peace, said Dar.

He also said that Pakistan and China have the same goal and position on this issue, and Pakistan looks forward to working with China to play an active role in promoting peace and ending the war.

Wang reaffirmed China's principled position, saying that China and Pakistan, strategic cooperative partners that firmly support and trust each other, take an objective and just position on this conflict and share generally the same view.

China appreciates Pakistan's unremitting efforts to cool down the situation and supports Pakistan in continuing to play its role as a mediator, Wang said.

Resuming peace talks is not an easy task, but only by doing so can more casualties and losses be avoided, and it is conducive to preventing the escalation and resuming normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, said Wang.

China is willing to enhance strategic communication and coordination with Pakistan and make efforts to promote peace and end the war, and strive for peace and stability in the region, Wang said.

The two sides agreed to jointly promote ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks, ensure the safety of non-military targets and waterways, and support the United Nations to play a major role.

They also exchanged views on the conflict between the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

FM says China supports Pakistan's role as mediator

FM says China supports Pakistan's role as mediator

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reaffirmed that they will not seek normalization of ties with Israel, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the two countries to join the Abraham Accords.

Saudi Arabia's position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged, a Saudi source told Al Arabiya TV on Monday.

The source affirmed the need for "an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state".

The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Muslim-majority and regional countries to normalize relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords before the U.S. reaches a peace agreement with Iran.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it would not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan will not join any agreement to normalize ties with Israel, adding that the country will not accept any deal that "conflicts with its fundamental ideologies".

Trump on Monday urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan -- countries involved in mediating U.S.-Iran talks -- to immediately join the Abraham Accords, warning that otherwise they should not participate in the mediation.

He added that if a U.S.-Iran deal is reached, Iran should also join the agreement.

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020 during Trump's first term, were established between the Israeli government and Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, aimed at rapidly advancing the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.

Before the outbreak of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the United States had been pushing for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

After the conflict erupted, Saudi Arabia suspended normalization talks with Israel.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan reject Trump's Abraham Accords demand