Press Release No. 03/2007

Pakistan for Building Mutual Confidence and Trust Between North and South:

New York January 11, 2007: The Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar hosted a dinner here today on Pakistan’s assumption as Chairman of Group of 77 and China at the residence of Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN.

The Minister observed that the most pressing issue confronting the UN today was the need to build trust among member states as well as between the Secretariat and the UN membership.

The Minister said that in its capacity as G-77 Chair, Pakistan while pursuing and defending the interests of Group of 77 would also endeavour to build mutual confidence and trust with the developed countries. The presence of a number of prominent Permanent Representatives from both G-77 and other groups as well as the Secretary General and senior UN officials, at the dinner, the Minister noted, was Pakistan’s first endeavour in this regard.

Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar on behalf of the members of Group of 77 conveyed the appreciation of its members to the Secretary General’s policy of consulting with the Group. Building consensus, he noted, was the best way forward both substantive issues as well as reforms.

The Minister assured the Secretary General and members states that Pakistan would actively work to promote the objectives and aspirations of the Group on North-South issues, South-South Cooperation and UN Reform.

The dinner was attended among others by Mr. Ban Ki-Moon UN Secretary General, Permanent Representatives of United States, Germany (as EU Presidency), Canada, Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Cuba, Egypt, Benin (as LDC Chair), Laos (As LLDC Chair), Barbados (representing SIDS), New Zealand, Jamaica, Qatar and Tunisia.

The dinner was preceded by a bilateral meeting between the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mukhdum Khusro Bakhtyar and Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General United Nations in which issues of bilateral interest were discussed. The Minister was assisted by Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan Permanent Representative.