ISLAMABAD: Britain is in talks to boost trade and security cooperation with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday, part of London's efforts to improve trade links with emerging market countries.
Britain has been seeking to bolster global trade ties following its June referendum vote to leave the European Union, with the government seeking to broaden relations with fast-growing economies outside Europe.
On a visit to Pakistan, Johnson said talks were progressing on plans to increase annual trade beyond 2.5 billion pounds ($3.11 billion) per year.
"Consider the size of the Pakistan economy, how fast it's growing, look at the size of the UK economy, we could do so much better," Johnson said in Islamabad before meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's top foreign policy official, said the two nations were discussing how to improve security cooperation.
Aziz said Prime Minister Sharif has invited his British counterpart Theresa May, who visited India this month, to travel to Pakistan next year to further boost ties.
Johnson also said the United States' President-elect Donald Trump was right to urge members of NATO to pay more towards the military alliance, which is heavily reliant on the United States.
Johnson urged other member nations to pay 2 percent of their budget towards defence spending.
"We need a strong NATO alliance, and I think that the president-elect is quite right to draw attention to the need to finance that alliance properly," Johnson said.
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