By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Kuwait and Venezuela, focusing on regional security, diplomacy and strengthening bilateral cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said.

In a call with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the two ministers discussed the latest developments in the Middle East amid renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran.

According to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, the Kuwaiti foreign minister expressed his country's "serious concerns" over continued attacks on Kuwaiti territory and voiced hope that all parties would exercise restraint and fully implement the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the ceasefire framework negotiated between Washington and Tehran with Pakistan's mediation.

Sheikh Jarrah also praised Pakistan's role in facilitating dialogue and promoting regional stability.

Dar stressed the urgent need for de-escalation and emphasized respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. He said preserving regional peace and security should remain the highest priority and called on all sides to honor their ceasefire commitments under the Islamabad MoU and avoid actions that could further inflame tensions.

The two ministers agreed to remain in close contact on regional developments and other issues of mutual interest.

Meanwhile, Dar also spoke with Félix Plasencia, Venezuela's newly appointed minister of foreign relations and foreign trade, congratulating him on his appointment and expressing condolences over the devastating earthquakes that recently struck the South American nation.

Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's solidarity with the Venezuelan government and people, expressing confidence in the country's recovery from the disaster.

Plasencia thanked Pakistan for its message of sympathy and humanitarian support and also commended Islamabad's diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in the US-Iran conflict.

The two ministers reviewed longstanding relations between Pakistan and Venezuela and agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade, investment, agriculture, information technology, business and people-to-people exchanges.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination in multilateral forums and agreed to remain in regular contact, with plans to meet at the earliest appropriate opportunity.

Pakistan has intensified diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners in recent weeks as it seeks to preserve the ceasefire between the United States and Iran following months of conflict. Islamabad has continued consultations with countries across the Middle East and beyond, urging restraint and supporting diplomatic efforts to prevent further regional escalation.