UN General Assembly President-elect Volkan Bozkir on Monday said Prime Minister Imran wanted peace both in the region and the world. The United Nations and Imran had similar views on world issues, he added.

Bozkir expressed these views at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad after a meeting with Imran.

During the meeting, the prime minister demanded that the United Nations should play its role in resolving the Kashmir dispute according to the resolutions passed by the world body.

In his remarks at the press conference, Bozkir said Pakistan had done better than other countries in fighting and containing the coronavirus pandemic.

Common challenges, common a response, he noted amid the situation resulting out of the coronavirus pandemic and said it was necessary to restore the people’s faith in international institutions.

The UN General Assembly president-elect said the world body had a central role fighting the pandemic around the globe so that the less-developed countries and the marginalised people had access to the solutions necessary curbing the deadly virus. 

About his meeting with Imran, Bozkir said the prime minister had a vision of peace, stability and development in the region and the world. He also praised Imran for his clear thinking on climate change, poverty and other issues.

Bozkir, who is from Turkey, said his country’s stance on the Kashmir dispute was very clear. The United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, as well as the Shimla Accord, were available to address the issue which had to be resolved for ensuring peace in the world.

Speaking on the occasion, Qureshi said Pakistan had presented the serious situation prevailing in Occupied Kashmir before the United Nations president-elect.

Besides sharing the Pakistanis’ feeling with the visiting dignitary, he had also be asked to hold a debate on the dispute in the General Assembly. The session should be physical, not virtual, he stressed.

He also listed Islamophobia and extremism as important challenges while calling for a joint action by the Muslim countries to face the same.