Pakistan's foreign minister hosts Syrian counterpart in Islamabad

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad to hold talks on bilateral cooperation and regional developments, an official statement said.

Shaibani arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday night on his maiden two-day trip, his first since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.

The Syrian foreign minister and his delegation met Dar at the Foreign Ministry, according to a statement from the ministry.

In addition to talks with Dar, Shaibani is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials.

This is the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in 19 years.

The last Syrian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Walid al-Mouallem in 2007, nearly two decades ago.

A Pakistani delegation met Shaibani in Damascus last June.