EU Council chief praises Pakistan’s Middle East peace efforts

European – Pakistan – (Web Desk) – European Council President Antonio Costa called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday. He praised Pakistan’s efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Costa said dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward. He fully supported Pakistan’s role in the region.

The two leaders had a good conversation. They talked about Pakistan and EU relations. The GSP+ trade status also came up during the call.

PM Shehbaz later shared the news on X. He said he updated Costa on what Pakistan is doing to promote peace in the Middle East. “We agreed that dialogue and diplomacy must prevail,” he wrote.

Received a telephone call from H.E. António Costa, President of the European Council, this afternoon.

We exchanged views on the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East and agreed that dialogue and diplomacy must prevail in order to restore regional peace and stability.

I…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 30, 2026

The prime minister also mentioned the Pakistan-EU Business Forum. It is coming up at the end of April in Islamabad. He said he looks forward to visiting Brussels soon. He also sent his good wishes to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Pakistan has been playing a quiet but important role lately. It has been acting as a go-between for Iran and the United States. Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been directly involved in these efforts. Even the White House confirmed his contact with President Donald Trump. It is a big moment for Pakistan on the world stage.

Islamabad intensified its diplomatic push on Sunday, hosting a quadrilateral meeting on the conflict attended by foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt.

Following the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan was ready to host potential talks between Iran and the United States, adding that both sides had expressed confidence in Islamabad’s role as a mediator.

Meanwhile, the European Council president said that PM Shehbaz had briefed him on the outcome of the quadrilateral meeting held in Islamabad.

“The EU is gravely concerned over the prolongation of the war and its increasing global impact,” he wrote in a separate post on X.

Good call today with the Prime Minister of Pakistan @CMShehbaz Sharif to hear his assessment on the Iran war, as well as the outcome of the recent consultations between the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye held in Islamabad.

The EU…

— António Costa (@eucopresident) March 30, 2026

The bloc “supports all mediation efforts”, he said, wishing Pakistan success in its efforts.

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He reiterated that only dialogue and diplomacy, in full respect of the UN Charter and international law, can restore peace and stability in the Middle East.