Pakistani army chief says looks forward to ‘enhance’ ties with European Union

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Monday Pakistan looked forward to enhancing ties “based on common interests” with the European Union.
Bajwa was meeting Androulla Kaminara, ambassador of the European Union, who called on the chief of army staff (COAS) at the army headquarters, GHQ, in Rawalpindi.
“During the meeting matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in Afghan Peace Process were discussed,” the Pakistan army said in a statement. “COAS said that Pakistan values its relations with EU and we earnestly look forward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests.”
Kaminara “appreciated Pakistan’s sincere efforts for bringing peace and stability in the region, especially the Afghan Peace Process.”
The meeting comes just weeks after violent protests by a rightwing political party that demanded the government expel the French envoy before April 20 over the publication of blasphemous cartoons in France.
At the time, Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation and said severing ties with France would hit Pakistani exports to the EU and fuel poverty, unemployment and inflation in the country. 
“The biggest effect [of breaking ties with France] will be that after great difficulty our economy is rising, the large-scale industry is getting up after a long time, people are getting jobs, wealth is increasing in our country, our exports are rising and after a long time, our rupee is strengthening,” Khan said in a televised address to the nation, adding that breaking ties with France was tantamount to severing relations with the entire European Union.
“Half of our textile exports go to the EU and that will be stopped, resulting in unemployment, devaluation of the rupee, increase in inflation and poverty,” Khan said. “We will be at loss but this won’t make any difference to France.”