Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU spoke with the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, via telephone on Thursday. This was reported by the Deputy Spokesperson of the federal government, Sebastian Hille. During the call, the Chancellor thanked the Prime Minister for his mediation efforts regarding a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. According to Hille, the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed that a lasting end to the conflict could only be achieved through diplomatic means. They also mutually agreed to continue deepening the friendly relations between Germany and Pakistan. Earlier that same afternoon, Merz had announced that contact with the Iranian government is set to resume. In a statement, he said, “After a long period of silence, for which there were serious reasons on our part, the federal government is now resuming discussions with Tehran”. He added that their goal is to contribute to the success of upcoming negotiations through this effort. Merz also called on Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon. “The situation in South Lebanon, where Israel is waging war, could cause the entire peace process to collapse, and that must not happen” he explained. Consequently, he also requested that the Israeli government end its intensified attacks yesterday after speaking with other heads of state and government.
Politics
