Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari received the credentials of the ambassadors-designate of Norway, Azerbaijan and Switzerland at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on 12 October 2026.
Zardari congratulated the diplomats on their appointments and wished them successful tenures in Pakistan. The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral relations, economic cooperation, trade, investment and shared interests.
In his meeting with Norway’s ambassador-designate, Sigvald Hauge, Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to its longstanding friendly relations with Norway. He thanked Norway for its support during Pakistan’s devastating floods in 2022 and welcomed the memorandum of understanding on climate cooperation signed in April 2026. They also discussed cooperation in renewable energy, maritime affairs, technology, trade and investment.
Speaking with Azerbaijan’s ambassador-designate, Irfan Shakiroglu Davudov, Zardari described the countries’ ties as close and fraternal and called for stronger trade and investment alongside their political relations. The discussion covered energy, regional connectivity and defence cooperation, progress in defence industry ties, and the contribution of direct air links to tourism and people-to-people contacts.
At his meeting with Switzerland’s ambassador-designate, Stéphane Laurent Rey, Zardari praised Switzerland’s role in mediation and peace efforts, including its facilitation of technical talks between the United States and Iran at Bürgenstock. They discussed opportunities in trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, IT and cybersecurity, renewable energy, water management and tourism.
Senators Sherry Rehman and Saleem Mandviwalla, and Foreign Secretary Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, also attended the meetings.
