British foreign secretary to arrive in Pakistan for talks on Afghanistan

Taliban fighters display their flag on patrol in Kabul on Thursday, August 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will arrive in Pakistan on Thursday night for talks on the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral matters.

Foreign Office said in a statement that Secretary of State Raab during his visit on September 2-3 will hold official talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. "The talks will cover the evolving situation in Afghanistan and bilateral matters," said FO.

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Raab is also scheduled to have interaction at the leadership-level. Pakistan and the United Kingdom have been closely engaged on the latest developments in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had a comprehensive exchange of views with his British counterpart Boris Johnson telephonically on August 18, while Qureshi and Raab discussed the situation in Afghanistan twice on August 16 and 27. The FO said that the visit will reinforce the current momentum in high-level exchanges between the two countries and help strengthen bilateral cooperation on a range of issues.

Raab is the third European leader to visit Pakistan this week after German and Dutch foreign ministers visited Islamabad and meet top leaders.