WNAM MONITORING: Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Friday praised his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar for his and the Pakistani government’s efforts to de-escalate the US-Israel war against Iran as Tehran opens the Strait of Hormuz.
“I should profoundly thank my brother Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, for tremendous and historic efforts to bring peace to a very troubled region that is affecting the rest of the world,” Rahman told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which opened Friday in Türkiye.
Dar and Rahman and Afghanistan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi were part of a panel on South Asia during the forum, where they discussed the challenges to regional integration in South Asia.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The latest being Iran’s decision to allow ships to pass through Hormuz. Good news for everybody,” Rahman continued.
In response to ongoing efforts, he said that no country alone would be able to insulate itself from the economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
“We have to insulate ourselves together,” he said, lauding the Pakistani foreign minister for his efforts.
“There’s no question about it. The impact will be severe. It is already severe. Our country does not have the ability to absorb the shock both in terms of our ability to subsidize the energy and taking away from the development budget–which means our growth will suffer,” Rahman said about the economic impact felt by nations since the US-Israel initiated war on Iran, on Feb. 28.
Pakistan mediated a 14-day ceasefire on April 8 and efforts are on to end the war.
Bilateral relations
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Dar met Rahman on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026, marking their first in-person interaction since the formation of Bangladesh’s new government in February.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the two discussed strengthening Pakistan-Bangladesh ties and exchanged views on regional developments, including Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue between the US and Iran.
In February, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman formed the government after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a landslide victory in the election.
Last year, Dar visited Bangladesh, becoming the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit Dhaka in 13 years.
