ISLAMABAD: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a three-day official visit focused on regional and international developments, including Islamabad’s efforts to mediate in the US-Iran conflict, state media reported.
Guterres arrived in Islamabad at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.
His visit comes as the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran continues to disrupt energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas trade.
Pakistan and Qatar have previously played a role in efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran. Guterres has supported Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts and called for renewed dialogue.
The Pakistan Foreign Office said the visit would provide an opportunity to discuss regional and international developments and reaffirm Pakistan’s cooperation with the United Nations.
State-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that Guterres would also discuss Pakistan’s role in supporting negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, saying Islamabad had used its diplomacy and mediation to bring the parties together when dialogue was needed.
Guterres’s office said he remained in close contact with Pakistani leaders to support efforts aimed at ending the conflict. Islamabad has continued to promote the June agreement as a possible framework for further negotiations despite the resumption of fighting.
Guterres to Meet Pakistan’s Top Leadership
During his Oct. 6-8 visit, Guterres is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of defence forces and army chief.
He will also visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). The mission monitors the ceasefire along the Line of Control between Pakistan and India in disputed Kashmir.
Guterres is also scheduled to receive a briefing at Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. Disaster preparedness and early warning systems will be among the issues highlighted during the visit.
The UN chief last visited Pakistan in 2022 after devastating monsoon floods hit the country.
Who Is Antonio Guterres?
Antonio Guterres was born in 1949 in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. He studied engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico.
Guterres speaks Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. He is married to Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto and has two children, a stepson and three grandchildren.
Guterres became the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations, taking office on January 1, 2017.
Before becoming UN secretary-general, he served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.
Prior to joining the United Nations, Guterres spent more than two decades in government and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was involved in international efforts to resolve the crisis in East Timor.
Guterres was first elected to Portugal’s parliament in 1976 and served as a lawmaker for 17 years.
From 1981 to 1983, he was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he chaired its committee dealing with population, migration and refugees.
He was also active for many years in the Socialist International, a global organisation of social democratic political parties. He served as its vice president from 1992 to 1999 and as president from 1999 until mid-2005.
Guterres also played a role in establishing the Portuguese Refugee Council and the Portuguese Consumers’ Association, known as DECO.
In the early 1970s, he headed an organisation involved in social development projects in poorer areas of Lisbon.
His long career in politics, government and humanitarian affairs eventually led him to the United Nations, where he took over as secretary-general in 2017.
