ISLAMABAD: In a bid to safeguard its critical trade benefits with the European Union (EU), Islamabad has reached out to Poland for diplomatic support in securing GSP Plus status beyond 2027.
Briefing the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) along with his visiting Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, ‘’We are looking forward to the support of Poland on GSP Plus, which is a great tool to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and economic growth.”
It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan’s Generalized Scheme of Preference-Plus (GSP+) status expired in 2023, but the current GSP scheme has been extended for four years until 2027. Pakistan can continue to benefit from it with new requirements to meet.
Polish Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan on October 23
To retain eligibility beyond 2027, Pakistan must now comply with additional conventions on human rights, labor, and environment, along with meeting new GSP+ requirements for the 2024-2034 period.
Dar says Pakistan-Poland two-way trade stands at the USD 1 billion mark, which will be enhanced to a higher level. “Oil and gas sector investment is half a billion dollars, which would be further increased,” he added.
Dar held delegation-level talks with his Polish counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. Both sides appreciated the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, energy, defence, and education.
In fintech, energy, and transport, we have a great potential to cooperate. Pakistan and Poland have common thinking on Gaza, Palestine, and other international issues,’’ Dar remarked.
Poland DPM, while responding to a query, said that the oil and gas sector is a priority sector where we want to make more investments. He highlighted that his country has offered to intensify bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, public finance, fintech, and water management. He also mentioned that further collaboration in the mining and energy sector was discussed.
Emphasizing the importance of people-to-people contacts, Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland remains open to legal migration and genuine academic pursuits.
Ishaq Dar further said the two sides also exchanged views on key regional and global issues, including the security situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, Europe, and the Middle East.
The Deputy Prime Minister briefed the Polish delegation on Pakistan’s concerns regarding unprovoked Indian aggression and reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, advocating for its resolution in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He said discussions also included the recent excesses of the Taliban regime and the presence of extremist elements such as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan on Afghan soil. He emphasized that continued attacks by these entities remain a top concern for Pakistan.
During the delegation-level talks, two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed, outlining regular bilateral consultations and cooperation between the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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