9th round of Pak-EU Political Dialogue held: Pakistan, EU agree to continue working towards broadening of ties

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to continue working towards further deepening and broadening of bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest.

This was agreed during the ninth round of Pakistan-European Union Political Dialogue which was held here on Wednesday.

According to a statement of the Foreign Office, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi led the Pakistani delegation while the EU side was led by Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Enrique Mora.

It added that the Political Dialogue covered the entire gamut of the Pakistan-EU bilateral relationship encompassing all areas of mutual interest with a focus on Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), trade and development cooperation, security, climate action, migration and mobility. Important Regional and global developments were also discussed.

Expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of the relations, it added that the two sides agreed to continue working towards further deepening and broadening of Pakistan-EU bilateral ties in all areas of mutual interest by regularly holding meetings of institutional mechanisms and undertaking follow-up actions.

Highlighting the importance of Pakistan-EU bilateral ties, the two sides agreed that regular high-level interactions have provided a new impetus to the relationship and underlined the necessity for close cooperation and dialogue amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, it further stated.

Acknowledging GSP Plus as a successful template of trade for development and mutually beneficial cooperation, the foreign secretary underlined the need for fostering deeper collaboration with key stakeholders on both sides to bring diversification and sustainability in trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union.

“The two sides also agreed to explore new opportunities under the EU’s flagship programs; Global Gateway Strategy and Horizon Europe,” it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024