To attend the OIC summit on the Somaliland dispute, Ishaq Dar travels to Jeddah.

In order to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting on the Somaliland conflict, Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, traveled to Saudi Arabia.

Ishaq Dar arrived in Jeddah and was greeted by Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq, and consul general, Mustafa Rabbani, according to the Foreign Office. Later today, the foreign minister is expected to attend the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ extraordinary session.

On the fringes of the conference, Ishaq Dar will also meet bilaterally with the foreign ministers of OIC member states, according to the Foreign Office. He is anticipated to launch the new Pakistani Consulate building in Jeddah while there.

In reaction to Israel’s recent declaration of Somaliland’s independence and the rapidly worsening circumstances in Somalia, the OIC has called an emergency meeting. Israel’s action has previously been described by the OIC as a blatant breach of Somalia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Ishaq Dar will reiterate Pakistan’s steadfast support for Somalia’s security, unity, and sovereignty inside its internationally recognized borders during the conference. Along with outlining Pakistan’s position on the matter, he will also talk about more general regional and international events, as well as opportunities for improved bilateral engagement with other OIC members.

The United Nations and other major international organizations have not recognized Somaliland, which is in northwest Somalia, as a sovereign state despite its 1991 declaration of independence following the fall of Somalia’s central government.