ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Norway have agreed to undertake steps to enhance bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, education, defence, climate change, IT and maritime affairs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator (DPM/FM) Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, held delegation-level talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They recognized the important role of the Pakistani diaspora in Norway and agreed to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The two sides expressed satisfaction at the warm and cordial state of Pakistan-Norway relations and agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Both sides also held in-depth discussions on regional and international developments of mutual interest. The Norwegian Foreign Minister commended Pakistan’s important and constructive role during the recent Iran-US conflict, including the leadership and contributions of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said during Joint Press Stakeout along Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Norway said that both sides agreed that our bilateral trade is below the potential of both economies and needs to be enhanced through effective measures.
Pakistan offers enormous investment opportunities for Norwegian companies, and it is heartening to see many leading Norwegian companies investing in Pakistan.
A renowned Norwegian company, Yara International, is establishing a joint venture in plant nutrition with Fauji Fertilizer Company in Pakistan. I hope this initiative will be a trailblazer for many more future projects between the two countries, he added.
DPM Dar noted, “Our technology partnership with Norway is a success story — Pakistan’s IT and ITeS exports to Norway have grown more than five-fold in just two years, and I have no doubt this is only the beginning.”
We also agreed on the expeditious finalization of various agreements and MoUs under process between our two countries. We also discussed cooperation in maritime affairs. I briefed my friend that Pakistan has one of the world’s largest ship recycling facilities, and our strategic location makes it the most competitive and nearest recycling destination in this maritime region for ships coming from Norway, he remarked.
Pakistan is grateful to Norway’s maritime authorities for their support in building capacity and providing technical training for Pakistan’s ship-breaking industry, in line with the Hong Kong Convention.
Dar briefed the Norwegian FM that India had added a new dimension to an already volatile security situation by unilaterally announcing the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty in contravention of International Law.
We reiterate that India must end the weaponisation of water and uphold its treaty obligations. The visiting FM said, “It is also my very strong wish to reiterate our very strong support for the important role that Pakistan has played in this dramatic war that broke out from the 28th of February with the US-Israel war against Iran.”
Norway was amongst those few Western nations which had been “the clearest and quickest in stating that the war was contrary to international law, he remarked.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026