Islamabad: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Thursday backed Iran's right to protect itself as a state and expressed support for Pakistan's mediatory role in the ongoing US-Iran war as he held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and discussed bilateral cooperation and international developments.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the whole gamut of bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, climate change, maritime affairs and education, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The two sides also held in depth discussions on regional and international developments of mutual interest, it said.
"I also really want to reiterate our strong support for the very important role that Pakistan has taken in this dramatic war that started on February 28 with the US-Israel attack on Iran,” Eide, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, said while talking to the media after delegation-level talks with Dar.
He said that while Norway had “significant disagreements with Iran on other issues, they also have the right to be protected as a state”.
“I know what a massive task you were taking on when you offered Islamabad not only as the venue but also as the facilitator of these talks,” he said, referring to Pakistan's efforts to end the US-Iran war and bring peace to the volatile region.
"What you have been doing is really a service to the world, and hence, also to us,” he said, adding that Norway was one of the Western countries that was “clearest and earliest” in stating that the war was a violation of international rules.
On his part, Dar said both sides share a commitment to multilateralism, the principles of the UN Charter, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Eide also lauded a recently signed defence pact between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia in Makkah, saying these are three countries with whom Norway has "very good and close relations."
Eide, the first Norwegian foreign minister to visit Pakistan after a decade, said he also discussed other regional issues, ranging from Kashmir to Afghanistan.
Dar said that he also briefed the Norwegian foreign minister on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and talked about the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty.
He said Pakistan greatly values its relations with Norway and looks forward to further strengthening them.
Dar said both sides agreed that their bilateral trade is below the potential of the two economies and there is a need to enhance it through effective measures.
He said Pakistan offers enormous investment opportunities to Norwegian companies. "Our technology partnership with Norway is a success story,” he said, highlighting a five-fold increase in Pakistan's IT exports to Norway.
Dar said the two sides have agreed on the expeditious finalisation of various agreements and MOUs between the two countries.
“We are grateful to Norway's maritime authorities for their support in capacity building and providing technical training for Pakistan's shipbreaking industry,” he said.
Dar said both countries have agreed to enhance people-to-people contacts and added that labour mobility was also discussed.