Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday arrived in Washington, DC, for an official visit, during which he will meet with US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio to discuss matters of bilateral and regional significance, following the conclusion of his engagements at the United Nations in New York.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Dar was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with senior officials of the Embassy of Pakistan.

“Following the conclusion of his official engagements, he will return to Islamabad later the same day,” the statement added.

On Thursday, the FO said that discussions during the visit would focus on strengthening cooperation in key sectors as well as Pakistan’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability through “dialogue and diplomacy”.

Dar’s Washington visit comes immediately after a series of high-level engagements at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where he participated in an open debate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened under China’s presidency of the council.

While addressing the UNSC session, Dar on Tuesday called for restraint and de-escalation in the Middle East, warning the UNSC that another prolonged conflict would endanger regional peace and further strain the fragile international order.

Addressing an open debate, Dar, while referring to the ongoing efforts to achieve a resolution to the conflict between Iran and the US, stated that the principle of peaceful settlement must apply equally to all long-standing disputes on the Security Council’s agenda.

“The entire world is watching. We must succeed in the interest of regional and global peace and security,” he told the 15-member UNSC. “As a friendly neighbour of Iran and brotherly countries of the Gulf, Pakistan consistently stood for restraint, de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.”

During his stay in New York, Dar also held meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other senior diplomats, where discussions covered regional conflicts, Afghanistan, Palestine, South Asia and reform of the UN Security Council. Pakistan also reiterated its support for greater multilateral cooperation and reforms to global governance institutions.

The foreign minister’s latest visit signals continued momentum in Pakistan-US diplomatic engagement at a time when Islamabad has assumed an increasingly visible role in regional diplomacy, particularly regarding ongoing indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran.

Recent international reports have highlighted Pakistan’s involvement in facilitating communication channels aimed at easing tensions between the two sides.

Pakistan-US relations have witnessed renewed engagement in recent months, with cooperation expanding beyond traditional security issues into diplomacy, regional stability and economic coordination. Washington has also increasingly acknowledged Islamabad’s role in mediation efforts linked to the Middle East crisis, while both countries continue discussions on trade, energy cooperation and broader regional security matters.

The visit comes amid continued diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Washington on regional security and bilateral cooperation. According to the statement, Dar will return to Islamabad later the same day following the completion of his official engagements.