Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan wants long-term relations with the European Union (EU) and the forthcoming EU conference about Pakistan would further strengthen political and economic relations with the EU. The Foreign Minister was the chief guest at a dinner hosted by the Spanish Ambassador Gonzalo Maria Quintero Saravia here on Monday.
The Spanish Ambassador hosted this dinner in Spain's capacity as the current President of the rotating Presidency of the EU. The dinner was attended envoys of the EU countries based in Islamabad. The Foreign Minister recalled the visit of EU Ambassadors to Peshawar and their support to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
He briefed the EU Ambassadors on the government's policies aimed at strengthening democracy and democratic institutions; besides highlighting its successful counter-terrorism strategy. On Foreign Policy issues, Qureshi informed the EU Ambassadors about several initiatives, including the "Friends of Democratic Pakistan" which had lent strategic support to Pakistan in its difficult times.
Pakistan was looking forward to the next Friends of Democratic Pakistan's Ministerial meeting in Brussels in August this year, which will be co-chaired by Pakistan and the EU Commission. The Spanish Ambassador thanked the Foreign Minister for his participation in the event and his briefing on issues of interest to the EU Ambassadors.
He emphasised that the government of Spain, in its capacity as President of the EU, had placed a strong emphasis on strengthening Pakistan-EU relations. Therefore, the holding of the Second Pakistan-EU Summit during the Spanish Presidency was a significant development in these relations. He assured the Foreign Minister of EU's continuing interest in further consolidating these relations with Pakistan.-PR
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