The European Union and Pakistan have reaffirmed their intention to expand cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, security and regional diplomacy following the eighth round of the EU–Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad.
According to the European bureau of Report, this was announced to journalists by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
Dar noted that the visit by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kallas reflects the growing momentum in relations between the two sides.
“The last time the EU High Representative visited Pakistan was in 2019, and there have been no visits for seven years since then. Therefore, the visit of the EU High Representative – European Commission Vice-President Kallas – to Islamabad marks a growing momentum in the partnership between the two sides,” he said.
According to him, the parties discussed the development of trade ties under the GSP+ trade preference scheme, the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, as well as security and counter-terrorism issues.
The EU is one of Pakistan’s main trading partners, with trade between the parties amounting to around €12 billion, Dar said.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister thanked the EU for its support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts in resolving the conflict between the US and Iran and briefed Kallas on Islamabad’s position on Kashmir and the dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty.
