Pakistan has sworn in its first female foreign minister, ahead of several high-profile diplomatic meetings this month.

Thirty-four-year-old Hina Rabbani Khar, who was sworn in Tuesday, is also the youngest foreign minister in Pakistan's history.

The former deputy foreign minister fills a post that has been vacant since February, when her predecessor, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was removed from office in a dispute with the ruling party.

Khar is expected later this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at an ASEAN regional meeting in Indonesia. While there, she will also meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Later this month, she will meet with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna as the two rival nations continue a troubled peace process.

The dialogue between the nuclear-armed neighbors was suspended after the November 2008 terrorist raid on India's commercial hub, Mumbai, which was blamed on Pakistan-based militants.