BRUSSELS: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Belgium’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Sophie Wilmes met here and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

In a meeting held at the Egmont Palace, the two sides expressed commitment to boost ties particularly in areas of trade, education, and science and technology.

This is the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to Belgium in a decade.

Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed confidence that the two governments would collaborate in diverse fields for the benefit of their people.

He updated his counterpart on the atrocities carried out by Indian in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Sophie Wilmes thanked FM Qureshi for the facilitation extended by Pakistan in safe relocating of the Belgian nationals from Afghanistan after the fall of government in August.